Exedra's apprentice
by chquine-harvinellisse
Summary: Exedra needs to find an apprentice as soon as possible. He decides to test the strongest of the strong in his world. Who will he choose? The ambitious knight, the misunderstood mercenary, the wandering hermit, the doomed mage or her selfless twin brother?
1. The search for the apprentice

**Fifth story!**

**Oh man! **

**I can't find the inspiration to finish my first two stories… **

**Not many people read it though…**

**Anyway, I'd like to thank Warboss and his story Darkus revolution for giving me the idea of this story…**

**And to JetravenEx, I hope you like this story… Since this is for you… =D**

**Anyway…**

**I do not own Bakugan…**

**On with the story!**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

The search for the apprentice

"I see you have found your apprentice, Apollonir." Exedra, the Darkus power guardian said as he referred to the Pyrus power guardian.

"Yes." Apollonir nodded "Dan was quite an unpredictable child. He seemed unreliable at first, but he proved to me that he was worthy to become my apprentice."

Exedra sighed. He was jealous. He hasn't been able to see a worthy apprentice to the Darkus power.

An apprentice is needed by the power guardians to protect the power for the next generations to come. The current power guardian must choose an apprentice who he deems worthy to guard the element's power.

"What about you?" inquired Apollonir "I see no one has caught your eye yet?"

"It is a difficult decision Apollonir…" Exedra said "An apprentice must be pure-hearted, a quality which most of the Darkus brawlers lack."

"But you are the only one who lacks an apprentice…" Apollonir said "You are getting weaker Exedra… And without an appropriate apprentice, the Darkus power will fall into the wrong hands."

"I can still live long enough to choose an apprentice." Exedra said "I will only teach him a few more things and I will be ready to fuse with the Perfect core once more…"

"I sincerely hope you know what you are doing, Exedra…" Apollonir said as he disappeared into ripples of red light.

Exedra left in a flash of purple light and he returned to his abode.

He was greeted by the faithful Darkus knight, Spectra Phantom.

"Welcome back, Master Exedra…" Spectra greeted

Exedra sighed and said "Yes… But it is not something I am happy about."

"It's about the choosing of the apprentice is it not?" Spectra asked as his mask gleamed in the dim light.

"Yes…" replied Exedra "I'm afraid, I am the last one of the guardians who doesn't have an apprentice yet."

"Then why not choose one already?" Spectra inquired

"I cannot do that, Spectra…" Exedra said "Choosing an apprentice is a very delicate choice. If I do not choose carefully, the Darkus power will fall into the wrong hands and it may become the fall of Vestroia."

A thought dawned on Exedra. He felt pleased with that plan of his and he decided to make it happen immediately.

"Spectra, I now know how I can find the appropriate apprentice." Exedra announced

Spectra didn't rise from his bowing position as he asked "What is that Master?"

"You shall soon see…" Exedra said as he stood from his throne and went out of the throne room.

Meanwhile, on a grassy meadow inside a colossal tower, two youths could be found sitting side by side. One was a boy and another was a girl.

The girl had long orange hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a long purple cape and inside it was a pale yellow dress. She was making a garland out of the flowers she found beside her.

The boy had blonde hair that was raised above his head. He wore a mask to conceal his face and the scars of the past. He wore a white coat over his navy black pants and a navy blue coat. He was watching the clouds dance lazily on the sky.

"What are you thinking brother?" the orange haired girl asked curiously.

"I was thinking of how lazy the clouds are as they drift across the sky…" the boy plainly replied

The girl giggled "You haven't changed a bit since I left…"

"Well what do you expect me to become Alice?" the boy asked the orange haired girl who was his younger twin sister.

The orange haired girl he called Alice placed the garland on his head and said "There, a crown befitting a king." She said proudly "King Masquerade…" she added as she referred to the blonde boy beside her who was her older twin brother.

The boy Alice referred to as Masquerade chuckled as he sat up and put the garland off of his head. He playfully ruffled his younger sister's hair.

"I heard you made quite a name for yourself while I was gone, brother." Alice said

"Really now?" Masquerade smirked "Maybe it's because I have a mage for a younger sister…"

Alice blushed "I'm not a real mage…"

"But you're as real as any mage…" Masquerade said

Alice smiled and blushed at the same time. Her brother loved to compliment her. They were the only ones left of one another. Their parents passed away when they were little and since then Masquerade cherished his little sister, Alice.

"So how did it feel to be outside?" Masquerade asked

"It was fun!" Alice replied with much excitement "The other worlds' people were very hospitable. I never thought that being a mage was so much fun. But I wish that you were there with me brother…"

"Well, that's the downside." Masquerade said "I'm not a mage like you so I can't travel freely…"

Alice became a mage because of their mother from whom she inherited most of her traits. Masquerade became an ordinary boy since their father was a simple Darkus citizen.

Mages are very rare citizens of Vestroia. They have the power to control all six elements, and travel freely through worlds and dimensions. Alice was one of those rarities.

"If that's the case then I'd rather not travel again." Alice said "It was lonely anyway."

"I heard that Oberus's apprentice was quite handsome…" Masquerade teased

Alice placed her hands on her hips. She knew that her brother was referring to the famous Shun "He wasn't the least bit as handsome as you, brother…"

"But still he is handsome?" Masquerade asked

Alice shook her head strongly "He's too arrogant…"

Masquerade chuckled.

The door of the tower opened. There stood a Darkus guard.

"May I help you?" Masquerade asked

"Master Exedra wants both of you to come to his palace." The Darkus guard replied "He wants you to come immediately…"

"Both of us?" Masquerade was surprised. He would understand if Exedra called for his sister, but why would Exedra call for him as well.

The Darkus guard nodded.

Masquerade and Alice followed the Darkus guard to Exedra's palace. They were summoned along with three more youths like them. One had mint green hair and gray eyes. The other had white hair, dark skin and gleaming golden eyes. The other had pale blonde hair and wore a mask just like Masquerade.

Masquerade and Alice knelt in front of Exedra's throne side by side. Alice was the last one in the line.

"I see that these are the ones that the Darkus Bakugans have blessed with their powers." Exedra said. He turned to Spectra and said "It does not surprise me to see you here Spectra…"

Spectra bowed his head.

"Spectra Phantom, the Darkus Knight," Exedra started "I can feel Helios's power within you…"

"Helios?" Spectra echoed in awe.

"Yes, Helios." Exedra nodded "He was the legendary Bakugan who evolved out of his natural element. He was once a Pyrus Bakugan, but he became a Darkus Bakugan. It seems that you have inherited that formidable strength."

Spectra bowed his head once more.

Exedra turned to the mint green haired boy who knelt beside Spectra and said "Ace Grit, the Darkus Mercenary," he started "I can feel Percival, the legendary soldier's power coming from within you…"

Ace's head snapped up. He didn't expect to inherit Percival's power.

"Percival is the strongest mercenary who ever came to be." Exedra said "His power suits you well."

Ace bowed his head and said "Thank you, Master Exedra…"

Exedra turned to the white haired boy who knelt beside Ace "Ren Krawler, the Darkus Hermit," he started "I can feel Linehalt's power coming from you."

Ren's head snapped up "Linehalt?"

"Yes." Exedra nodded "Linehalt is the hermit who got strong from his numerous travels in our land. I think it is fitting for someone like you…"

Ren nodded and said "Thank you, Master Exedra…"

Exedra turned to Masquerade next "Masquerade, the Darkus Stargazer…" he started "Ah yes, Reaper's intimidating presence is prominent within you…

"He was the mighty Bakugan who vanquished his foes with a single smite of his scythe." Exedra explained "Yet, there is doubt in your heart… A doubt that concerns your own abilities…"

He finished speaking and Masquerade said "Thank you, Master Exedra…"

Exedra turned to Alice who was last and he laughed out loud.

"Ah yes…" Exedra sighed "I can feel a tremendous coming from you. Alice, the Darkus Mage…"

Spectra, Ace and Ren flinched at the sound of the word 'mage'.

"Alpha Hydranoid's power rests within you, my child." Exedra explained "He came from my own race; he was my own kind. It is only fitting for you to carry his ominous curse…"

_Curse?_

Masquerade's head snapped towards Exedra and Alice.

_What curse is Master Exedra talking about?_

"Many difficulties and sadness await you my dear…" Exedra said "Especially since you come from my kind…"

Alice was troubled, but she managed to say "Thank you, Master Exedra…"

Exedra turned away from Alice and sat back on his throne.

"You must all be wondering why I called all of you here." Exedra said "I called you for good reason I assure you.

"I getting weaker and weaker and the Perfect Core needs my presence once again. And like all power guardians, I need an apprentice. The five of you are the strongest Darkus brawlers in our world. I have decided to choose one among you. But I will do it through a series of tests. So you better be prepared for tomorrow…" He waved his hand "You are all dismissed. You can choose whatever room you want to sleep in."

Masquerade and Alice chose a room with two beds. They'd rather be together in this foreign home of theirs.

"Alice, tell me, did you know of the curse?" Masquerade asked as he and Alice were on the veranda. He watched the stars like he always did when night falls.

Alice nodded "Yes…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it didn't seem important when I learned of it…" replied Alice.

"Alice, you know that you're the only one I have left. I don't know what that curse will do to you…" Masquerade explained

Alice sighed "The Mage's curse… It is said that a mage will have to be consumed by the power bestowed upon him or her…"

"What?" Masquerade exclaimed "You mean you'll die?"

Alice didn't reply. Obviously, it was a fact.

"Alice, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Masquerade asked "You know I can't afford to lose you…"

"Don't worry, brother." Alice smiled an assuring smile "I won't die… Yet anyway…"

"But still your power will end up consuming you won't it?" Masquerade clarified.

Alice nodded.

"But there is a way out of it?" he asked

Alice shrugged "I don't really know…" she wrapped her arms around herself "But to tell you the truth, I'm afraid, brother…"

Masquerade walked towards Alice "Afraid?"

"I'm afraid of being a mage…" Alice replied "I'm afraid of having to leave you…"

Masquerade wrapped his arms around Alice's shivering body "We'll find a way out of this, I promise you that…"

Alice embraced her brother back and said "I'm sorry brother…"

Masquerade shushed her as he ruffled her hair "Stop crying Alice… It'll be alright…"

_I have to save Alice…_

_I have to release her from this curse…_

_Perhaps Master Exedra knows something…_

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><p>Spectra sat on his chair inside his room as he held four card pieces with the images of the other competitors on his hand.<p>

"Ace Grit…" He said as he put Ace's card down "Ren Krawler…" he put down another card "Masquerade…" He studied the picture more "I can see nothing threatening about this one…" He put it down.

Only one card remained on his hand. It had Alice's picture on it. He studied it and finally said her name "Alice… The Darkus Mage… She is the one who may become Master Exedra's apprentice…"

He threw her picture into the fire and said "I have to get rid of her… A mage like her will be the greatest hindrance I will have… It seems that Master Exedra has his eyes on her… I shall show her kindness and end her sufferings…"

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><p><strong>End!<strong>

**I know that Masquerade isn't really like the Masquerade in this fanfic…**

**I used the first Guardian Bakugan of the Darkus characters in this story, so Masquerade's hidden power is based on Reaper while Alice's hidden power is based on Hydranoid... =D**

**And I apologize in advance for I will disappear for a little while because of exams and no internet connection…**

**But don't worry, I'll do my best and create the updates and just upload them when I get the chance**

**Plus Christmas vacation is coming soon! =D**

**Please don't hesitate to click the REVIEW button and do some damage as it is greatly appreciated! =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	2. The test

**Update!**

**I am so glad to be back!**

**Christmas vacation is here!**

**I'm sorry it's a bit short... **

**Anyway, on with the story and enjoy! =D**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

The test

Masquerade opened one of his eyes, although his eyes were barely visible through the mask that he always wore. He never took it off no matter what the circumstances were.

He stood up and looked around the room. His eyes fell on Alice who was peacefully sleeping on the bed adjacent to his.

He clenched his fists in anger. He remembered the truth that Alice just told him last night. The truth that he was going to loose her sooner than he thought.

Alice drowsily sat up and rubbed her eyes. She yawned and greeted "Good morning brother…"

Masquerade managed a smile and greeted "Good morning Alice… Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah…" Alice nodded "It was nice…"

Masquerade smiled to himself. He knew that Alice had a dream again. As a mage, she often has dreams.

"What was it about this time?" asked Masquerade

"I can't really figure out what it's about…" Alice replied "But you were there…" she smiled "You were sitting with me back at home. If that's the case then I'm sure it must have been a good dream. Anywhere with you would be just perfect…" she directed the question to her brother and asked "What about you brother? What did you see in the stars last night?"

"I couldn't pay attention to the patterns of the stars in the sky." Masquerade said

Alice pouted and said "You should stop worrying about me, Masquerade…"

"Can you blame me?" asked Masquerade in a crushed tone "I just found out that my sister is going to die sooner than I thought and you expect me to gaze at the stars and try to interpret them?"

Alice was silenced. She knew that her brother was only worried for her well-being, but she didn't want him to suffer because of it.

"I'm sorry, brother…" Alice muttered

"Don't worry Alice…" Masquerade gave her a comforting smile "I'll find a way to release you from your curse…"

Alice turned to her brother with tears in the lids of her eyes. She ran to Masquerade and embraced him tightly.

"Alice…" Masquerade gently smoothed her hair

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, brother…" Alice said

There was a knock on the door. A Darkus guard stood before them.

"Master Exedra wishes to see you in his throne room." The Darkus guard plainly said "Go and get ready…"

Masquerade nodded and said "Yes, sir…"

Upon hearing this, Alice turned to her brother.

He smiled comfortingly at her and said "It'll be alright…"

Alice nodded.

Masquerade took his white coat and put it on himself. Alice combed her hair and put her purple cloak on.

"Brother…" Alice called "Don't you want to get rid of that mask?"

Masquerade turned to her sharply and asked "Why do you ask?"

Alice fidgeted "I can use my mage power to find out a way to heal the scar you had as a child… Then you won't need to hide anymore…"

Masquerade smiled to himself. Even with a curse on her shoulders, Alice is still thinking about his well-being.

Mages use their abilities by using their power to acquire knowledge. They use that knowledge for various reasons.

"I appreciate your concern Alice…" Masquerade said "But I can't risk what little time you have left…"

Alice smiled and said "Okay then… I'll keep myself from using my abilities… For our sakes…"

Masquerade smiled gratefully "Thank you…"

They made their way to Exedra's throne room where the others were assembled. Like yesterday, they positioned themselves accordingly as they knelt in front of Exedra.

"My dear chosen ones," said Exedra "Today marks as the first day of your test. Bear in mind that the winner will not necessarily be the one who will inherit the power of Darkus. Your lives will be in danger for the next few days, but I swear by my honor as a Guardian that I will not let you perish in this test…"

Exedra stood up and a huge round mirror appeared before them. He pointed to it and said "This test will take place in this forest for three whole days. I hid five Darkus Mistletoes in the forest." Exedra produced mistletoe which shimmered with purple light and was swirled by an ominous black aura o his hand "Once you find the five Mistletoes, the test will be over…"

Spectra smirked to himself.

_It's simple enough… I won't face trouble with these fools…_

Exedra looked at his five candidates. He knew that one of them was undoubtedly worthy to become his apprentice, but who could it be?

"Master Exedra," called Masquerade, but somehow unsure of himself "May I speak with you?"

Exedra senses the urgency in Masquerade's tone. He nodded and said "Very well… You can all wait in your rooms for now."

Alice turned to her brother quizzically. Masquerade simply patted her head and assured her that things will be fine. Alice smiled at her brother and went off.

The door closed shut behind Exedra and Masquerade. A long silence stretched; Masquerade remained crouched.

"What is this about, Stargazer?" asked Exedra.

"Master Exedra, I would like to know about the Mage's curse…" Masquerade said.

Exedra chuckled "Is this about your sister Alice?"

Masquerade nodded

"As you already know, mages use their abilities to acquire knowledge…" Exedra said "Their knowledge is their power, and their power is only borrowed and therefore, they cannot contain it for long. They have limits, and their limits slowly reach their limits. Once their limit has been reached, the power they stored will consume them and reduce them to nothing…"

Masquerade became immensely troubled by Exedra's words. Alice became a mage only to meet that helpless end?

"Can't anything be done to stop it?" Masquerade asked

Exedra sadly shook his head "There is nothing that can be done…"

Masquerade's face fell.

"There is nothing that you can do…" Exedra said "For now…"

Masquerade's head jerked up "What do you mean Master?"

"The power of the attributes can erase the mage's abilities." Exedra said "However, it can only be possible once the power is possessed by the one who wishes to erase it."

"In simpler terms, Alice can only be freed once I posses the Darkus power?" clarified Masquerade "And become your apprentice?"

Exedra nodded "I cannot do it. As I have said, I am getting weaker and weaker by the minute… The Perfect Core calls for me… If I use the remaining strength I have to free your sister, I do not know if I will last to see my apprentice…"

Masquerade digested the facts that Exedra gave him. He nodded and said "Thank you, Master Exedra…"

"Masquerade," Exedra called "You must trust in yourself…"

Masquerade turned to Exedra "You have more strength than you know. Reaper's power lies dormant within you. You must learn to trust in yourself and in your abilities before you loose those that are important to you…"

Masquerade weighed those words and nodded "Thank you once more, Master…"

Exedra nodded as the door closed.

Alice's head snapped up when she heard the creaking of the door. She smiled when she saw who was by the door. She rushed to him and asked "What happened?"

Masquerade shook his head "Nothing…"

Alice didn't seem convinced.

"I'm fine, Alice…" Masquerade repeated "You don't have to worry about me…"

Alice nodded.

A Darkus guard came in front of them and escorted them back to the throne room where Exedra was waiting for the five Darkus champions.

"The time has come for the test to commence…" Exedra said "Go forth, brave ones. May the Darkus Bakugans watch over you."

He pointed his finger behind them and a portal appeared "Go through there and you will find yourselves inside the forests where you will spend the next three days in."

Spectra bowed his head and was the first one to get in the portal. Ren came next. Ace followed. Masquerade and Alice got in together, hand in hand.

A flash of bright colors blinded Alice. She squeezed Masquerade's hand for assurance and security.

It was what they always did as kids. Whenever Alice was terrified or unsure, she would just squeeze her brother's hand and she'd feel better already.

The bright colors faded and soon they found themselves surrounded by a dense population of trees around them. The trees were towering and had a bizarre aura to them.

The meadows weren't bright and they weren't as green as those inside Alice and Masquerade's home. There was something dark and ominous about their surroundings.

These were the kinds of places that made Alice cower in fear. She was easily frightened and daunted. Masquerade was the one who always protected her. He was always the strong one, he was the one who was brave; she was the one who cowered behind his back.

"Are you alright Alice?" Masquerade asked

Alice nodded. She shook off the unsettling feeling she had a while ago. Never mind the frightening thoughts that penetrated her mind. Masquerade was there for her; she knew that he would never leave her.

"Well, I guess we should start looking for the mistletoes…" Alice said "But where do we start? This forest must be huge…"

Masquerade nodded "Yes… I think we should try searching our area first."

"Where are the others?" Alice asked

"They were probably sent to another area of this forest." Masquerade replied "We better get moving too…"

Alice smiled at her brother and nodded. Together they walked around, hoping to get even a glimpse of the mistletoe.

Behind them was the watchful eye of Spectra. He watched the twins as they wandered into the forest, hand in hand.

He smirked and muttered "The mage… She must be eliminated… But I can't eliminate her without eliminating her pathetic twin brother…"

He turned behind him and said "Come, Shadow Prove… The Darkus Fool…"

A deranged-looking boy in his teens clad in purple, indigo and black robes jumped out of the trees and turned to Spectra. He was Shadow, the Darkus Fool, called as such because his power came from the fool Hades who tried to imitate the power of a hydra.

He had spiky gray hair and his nails were painted red. His tongue was often sticking out of his mouth.

"You got a job for me Spectra?" Shadow asked

"I need you to take care of someone for me…" Spectra said "I need you to eliminate that annoying Stargazer so we can have the Mage all to ourselves, vulnerable and weak…"

"What about the other nuisances?" asked Shadow

"I can take care of them…" Spectra said with a smirk "Just do as you're told and all will go well…"

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><p><strong>That's the end of this chapter!<strong>

**I'm really sorry about the length of this chapter...**

**Please hit that REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest thoughts as it is greatly appreciated…**

**chquine_havinellisse**


	3. Fools

**Update!**

**I am so sorry for the delay!**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

**Oh yeah, and I don't own Bakugan… =D**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

Fools

Alice and Masquerade walked down the path. Alice used her staff to illuminate the path for them.

The forest's floor was rough and there were plenty of bumps. Masquerade stumbled a couple of times trying to keep Alice out of harm's way.

"You worry too much…" Alice said while giggling when Masquerade stumbled over a protruding root.

Masquerade sighed and said "This is why I hate dark places without any stars…"

Alice insisted that they should have a light to guide them through the forest. At first Masquerade disagreed, thinking that Alice would have to use her abilities to gain knowledge.

"Don't worry, brother…" Alice assured him "I've already learned how to create light…"

Masquerade stared at her skeptically "Are you sure?"

Alice nodded.

Masquerade sighed and said "Alright…"

Alice closed her eyes and concentrated on the staff she was holding. Soon, a gentle pristine white light came out of it. It was light enough to see the forest floor, but dim enough to be hidden by the canopy of trees.

Alice stretched out her hand to her brother and helped him stand up.

Masquerade stood up and walked ahead of Alice.

"Wasn't it morning when Master Exedra sent us to here?" Alice asked

Masquerade nodded "This forest must simply be dark... Not a star, not even the moon could be seen…"

Alice looked around and said "I wonder if we're still in the Darkus realm…"

"Are you afraid?" asked Masquerade as he stopped and turned to Alice.

Alice shook her head and tried to be brave. She can't afford to depend on her brother anymore. She has to make her own choices and stand on her own feet. She has been burdening her brother too much.

"We must be getting close…" Masquerade muttered

"To what?" Alice asked

"I'm not really sure… But I do know where it is…" Masquerade replied

Alice nodded and smiled to herself, but all of a sudden she felt a strong presence, piercing her like a swift arrow.

She turned behind her; nothing was there. Could she be imagining it?

"Alice?" Masquerade called "Is something wrong?"

Alice went beside her brother; the worried look on her face was gone. She shook her head and said "Nothing… I was just daydreaming again…"

Masquerade chuckled. Mages have plenty of queer characteristics, all of which are interesting to see.

"How does it feel to be a mage?" Masquerade asked. He has been meaning to ask Alice that question for a long time.

"Well…" Alice considered that question for a while "its fun when you do something that people are truly amazed with…"

"What about the daydreaming?"

"It gets troublesome at most times…" Alice replied "I can't focus whenever I daydream…" she turned the question to her brother "What about you, brother? How does it feel to be a stargazer?"

Masquerade looked to the sky and replied "A stargazer does not exist when there are no stars…" he turned back to Alice and said "But it is comforting to see the patterns of the stars in the sky…"

"Why did you want to become a stargazer anyway?" Alice curiously asked "You were as good as any warrior back then… Why did you choose to be a stargazer?"

Masquerade didn't answer immediately. He cut off a branch that might hit Alice when she passes through it.

Alice tilted her head before passing through the branch "Brother?"

"I was never particularly fond of fighting…" Masquerade said as Alice reached his side as they walked "I never liked the sight of blood and lifeless bodies scattered all around me."

Alice nodded. She knew how her brother despised fighting. She knew how afraid he was of raising arms against another. She knew how he loved the peaceful life they shared inside that tower.

Masquerade stopped dead in his tracks. Alice tilted her head and called out to him "Brother?"

"It's here…" Masquerade muttered "The presence I've been feeling is here…"

Alice raised her staff to illuminate the area they were in. And there they saw it, purple mistletoe surrounded by a black aura. It was hanging on a branch of a tree.

Alice's eyes widened in surprise "It's a mistletoe…"

Masquerade reached out his hand and took the fragile leaf. He placed it on his palm. He handed it to Alice.

"Hide it." Masquerade said "It'll be safer with you…"

Alice took the leaf in her hand and it disappeared in a white flash.

"Can you feel the others?" Alice asked

Masquerade nodded "But this one felt closer so it was the one I followed."

"I guess this means we won't have any trouble looking for the other mistletoes…" Alice smiled.

Masquerade patted her head and said "Yeah… I guess it does…"

Exedra was watching them through a mirror inside is throne room. He chuckled and said "So the stargazer felt the presence of the mistletoes… He is an interesting fellow indeed."

The view in the mirror disappeared in a swirl of shades of purple. The swirl cleared and it revealed another image. It was Ace who was wandering around the forests.

"Ah, the mercenary…" Exedra muttered "It is indeed his style to wander about until he finds his way…"

Ace was still armored. A huge sword was on his back. He looked like a knight, but with a heavier and deadlier weapon. He looked around, unsure of where he really was.

"Where is this place?" Ace asked to no one in particular. He had no one to ask anyway.

"This doesn't look like anywhere I've ever been before…" he muttered. He looked around; his eyes were getting accustomed to the dark. It was a trait of a mercenary, he can easily adapt to his surroundings, especially his eyes.

He caught sight of a purple leaf surrounded by a swirl of black aura. He might have stepped on it if he hadn't looked twice. He picked it up and immediately recognized it.

"It's one of those mistletoes that Master Exedra was talking about…" Ace said his eyes wide in surprise. He placed it inside a leather pouch and placed it in his pocket.

He looked cautiously around to see if anyone was following him. He couldn't sense the presence of another person so he walked off.

Ren too was able to find one. He placed it somewhere safe and walked to another part of the forest.

Spectra too, had a mistletoe of his own.

Alice was starting to get tired so she and Masquerade decided to rest for a bit inside a cave they just found.

"Are you alright?" Masquerade asked his sister who was sitting on a rock.

Alice nodded "I just need to catch my breath…"

"You've been using your powers for a long time now…" Masquerade said as he sat beside her "We should rest for a while…"

"But we have to get out of here as soon as possible…" Alice insisted as she tried to get up. No longer than that, she swayed side to side and fell down.

Masquerade caught her just in the nick of time. He placed her back on the rock where she was previously sitting and said "We are staying here and that is final."

Alice pouted, but it was barely visible on her face due to her extreme exhaustion. Her head fell lax onto Masquerade's shoulder and fell sweetly asleep.

Masquerade couldn't help but smile at his sister's current condition. He brushed off a stray strand of hair from her cheeks and gazed that the ceiling of the cave.

_Don't worry Alice…_

_I'll protect you…_

_I promise I'll never let anything bad happen to you…_

Meanwhile, Shadow was watching very closely at the twins. He had been following them since Spectra dismissed him. He easily found them because of his association to the anti-Exedra forces.

"Well, Hades…" he said, referring to his Bakugan guardian "It seems that we have these two little birds right in our grasp."

He was about to enter the cave while both Alice and Masquerade were unsuspecting when a sudden force stopped him dead in his tracks. It came from his head and seemed to be controlled by someone.

"What… is… this…?" he asked in pain. His voice was low so Masquerade didn't hear it. He hid behind a bush and succumbed to the pain he felt.

"I will not allow you to do that act of cowardice, Shadow…" boomed Spectra's voice inside Shadow's head

"Spectra…?" he called out in vain "What… What are you doing? How… How are you…?"  
>Spectra cut him short "Never mind that. I will not say this again, Shadow Prove, but you will not attack them while they are off guard…"<p>

"But… W—why?" asked Shadow

"For it is dishonorable…" replied Spectra plainly "I for one will not tolerate such acts of cowardice…"

"S—such a noble knight…" Shadow mocked despite the pain that he felt, but as a result, the pain in his head grew worse.

"Do you understand, Shadow Prove?" asked Spectra with a weight in his voice that was as heavy as the force inside his head.

Shadow nodded, but as he did, the pain increased tenth fold. He felt like his head was going to explode or split in half.

"Do you understand?" Spectra pressed once more

"Yeah! Yeah!" Shadow shouted. Masquerade was fast asleep so he didn't hear the annoying shouts.

Shadow sighed. The pain was gone, but one thing got him bewildered…

_How could Spectra have telepathic abilities?_

_He isn't a mage…_

_He isn't a sorcerer…_

_In fact he's a plain human being!_

_How could he…?_

The questions were cut short from Shadow's mind as he reached a possible conclusion

_Could those mistletoes be…?_

He shook his head and turned his attention back to the sleeping twins. But the hanging question of a conclusion troubled him. He decided to shake it off for a while.

Spectra grinned triumphantly as he held the mistletoe on his palm.

"I never thought that your use would be too great, little one…" he muttered

Meanwhile, Ace was following a track he saw.

_If I find the others, I may have a better chance of getting out of here…_

He fell on his knees. He felt an excruciating pain throbbing from inside his head. He cried out in pain. He felt like a sword was run into his head, but he was still alive to feel every vivid pain.

"What—is… this…?" he asked in rapture.

Spectra smirked. He didn't see Ace's suffering, but he knew that the mistletoe was doing its magic.

Ace cried harder in pain. He was a mercenary, he knew what pain was; he has endured numerous forms of pain.

This pain was different. It didn't seem to be any form of physical pain; rather it felt like it was weakening his resolve.

He felt utterly helpless from this form of pain.

Soon the pain subsided. Ace was panting and breathing heavily. He raised his head and looked at the ominous forest standing before him.

_This is pathetic!_

_Master Exedra said that we wouldn't die, but he never said that we wouldn't experience these things!_

_I should have refused the moment he said so!_

Ace looked around his surroundings. He saw that he was completely alone. He felt like he was in a foreign world which he knew nothing of. He felt lost.

And for the first time in his life, he felt afraid of the infinite possibilities that this new world has in store for him.

He looked ahead at the tracks that he was following before the head-splitting pain he just experienced.

_Should I continue?_

He sighed and despite his reluctance, he followed the track anyway.

_I don't have that much of a choice after all…_

Spectra grinned to himself. He was satisfied with his findings and with the way things turned out for his favor. He stood up from the fallen log he was sitting on and walked off. He knew that Ace was following the tracks that he purposefully made.

_That's right Ace…_

_Follow me…_

_It will save me the trouble of having to look for you…_

He uncurled his fingers of his right hand and four picture cards immediately appeared on his hands. The pictures were that of the four other candidates.

He smirked and said "I'll have these fools dance at the palm of my hand…"

He picked out the card containing Ace's face and said "Starting with you, Ace Grit, the Darkus Mercenary…"

He threw the card to the ground and as soon as it made contact with the ground, it burned to ashes.

* * *

><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**What could Spectra be scheming?**

**What's so special about the mistletoes?**

**And yes, I chose mistletoes, because CHRISTMAS IS HERE! =D**

**I apologize once more for the delay…**

**I had a terrible case of writer's block for the first time in my fifteen years of existence… =D**

**Please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and convey your deepest thoughts regarding the story as it is greatly appreciated…**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	4. Ace Grit: The first mistletoe

**Update!**

**Sorry it took so long!**

**I thought holidays were supposed to be long, but it's almost over already?**

**NO!**

**I'll try to finish this as fast as I can… =D**

**Anyway, on with it! =D**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

Ace Grit: The first mistletoe

Ace continued down the trail he was following. The dark ambience all around him reminded him of his life as a mercenary.

Mercenaries were allowed to travel from one realm to another. They were like knights and mages, except they are not generally welcomed to the realm they enter to.

They are rarely supported or noticed by the leaders of the realms they reside in. That's why Ace considers this chance as a golden opportunity for the likes of him who is rarely noticed.

He was raised in the darkest areas of the Darkus realm. He had no memory of his parents, only the last name that they graced him with. Nevertheless, he was destined to become a mercenary from the time he was entrusted to the head of the mercenaries.

He was one of the youngest trainees. He was also one of the best trainees that ever came to existence.

His training was harsher than any of those in his age group. He was expected to have advanced and superior battle skills. He was expected to be perceptive as the situation requires. He was expected to learn easily. He was expected to do things accordingly, smoothly and in the right manner.

He never fell short of these expectations. He exceeded them for his sake.

He wanted to be recognized. He wanted to be loved. He wanted to feel important. He wanted to exist as Ace Grit and not as the genius child whose fate is sealed to be a mercenary.

And so he was. He was recognized. He felt important; significant. But his other two wishes were not acknowledged.

After his training, he was left out on his own. He decided to leave the Darkus realm and travel, exploiting his rights to travel in the process.

He traveled to all five other realms. He was satisfied by the results of his travels.

But one travel in particular caught his interest.

The Subterra realm had nothing special in itself. Ace found it to be sturdier than most of the realms, but he also found a very unusual thing.

He found a girl named Mira, Mira Clay. She was desperately searching for her brother.

"Where did you last see your brother?" Ace asked

"He used to live in the neighbor hooding realm." Mira replied "But right after the Apprenticeship ceremony, he disappeared without a trace."

"What is your brother's name?" asked Ace

"His name is Keith, Keith Clay." Mira replied

Ace gave her an assuring smile "Don't worry Mira; I'll help you find your brother…"

Mira smiled at him. At that moment, he didn't know if he was getting immature or if he was just plain stupid, but he could've sworn that his heart did a couple of back flips at the sight of her smile.

Since his encounter with Mira, he's been searching high and low for someone named 'Keith Clay'.

But to his utter dismay and disappointment, no one by the name of Keith Clay has been to the other realms.

He visited Mira for the last time before he was called by Master Exedra.

"I see…" Mira said sadly "So my brother hasn't been to the other realms too, huh?"

Ace saw the disappointment on her face so he decided to cheer her up "I haven't looked at the Darkus realm yet."

"You don't have to look for him…" Mira muttered

Ace turned to her quizzically.

"I can find him on my own." Mira said "After all he is my brother and he is my responsibility…"

"What are you saying all of a sudden Mira?" Ace asked

"I'm saying that I don't want you to help me anymore." Mira said with finality in her voice "I didn't expect a mercenary like you to help me anyway." An evident form of bitterness could be heard in her voice.

Ace stood up in fury "Do you have any idea how long I've spent trying to look for your brother?"

"I never asked you to help me look for him." Mira pointed out "You were the one who volunteered to look for him on your own."

"Well excuse me for being a nice guy for helping you out!" Ace retorted

"I guess mercenaries really are hot headed and arrogant…" Mira muttered

"What?" Ace shouted "I'm the one who tried to help you and now you look at me like that?"

"Enough!" Mira exclaimed "You will not visit the Subterra realm or me anymore!"

"You're not the boss of me." Ace said "I can come to this realm whenever I want. And don't worry, I'd rather chew my own tongue, spit it out and chew it again rather than see the likes of you!"

He laughed bitterly as he said "And to think that I was starting to like you…"

Mira looked away and said "Get real, I would never like a mercenary like you…"

Those words struck his heart like a deadly arrow. He turned away from Mira and said "Yeah… I knew that all along…"

He walked off with a heavy heart. As a mercenary, they could have all the rewards they'd ever want. They could demand as much as they wanted and no one would complain about it.

Ace wasn't a selfish mercenary. He never asked for more than what was agreed upon. He never asked if he knew that there was nothing to give.

It was the first time he was rejected in a very painful manner.

_Never mind that!_

_Who cares what that self-absorbed girl thinks?_

He came to an abrupt halt as he realized the answer to that question.

_I do…_

He gritted his teeth and walked off to the portal that led him back to the Darkus realm.

The next thing he knew, he was called by Master Exedra. He was one of the candidates for his apprenticeship.

Ace saw this chance, a chance to prove himself a worthy person, a chance to prove his existence as Ace Grit and not as the genius mercenary everyone thinks him to be; a chance to prove to Mira that he's something more than just a mercenary.

It was the first time he became selfish. It was the first time he ever wanted something so badly for himself. He wanted to become Master Exedra's apprentice.

But at this point in time, he was starting to doubt himself.

The excruciating headache he felt a little while ago definitely shook him up.

_Stop it Ace!_

_You're doing this because you want to prove something right?_

_You're not supposed to get shaken by that pathetic little trick!_

He nodded his head and that seemed to strengthen his resolve.

Spectra on the other hand, was waiting for Ace's timely arrival at his location. He had the mistletoe on his palm he thought of the possible things he could do with all five of it.

He knew that the mistletoes had something special in them and he plans to use them for his purposes.

_Master Exedra will hand over the Darkus power to me…_

_He will have no choice, but to give it to me, once I have the other mistletoes…_

He smirked. He could hear Ace's footsteps quickly approaching him.

He stood up and turned to his visitor.

Ace's eyes widened when he saw Spectra standing before him "Aren't you, Helios's inheritor?"

"Why yes…" Spectra replied "I see you paid attention to Master Exedra's briefing…"

Ace's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the tone of Spectra's voice, like he was belittling him and mocking him because he's a mercenary.

"Why the suspicious face?" asked Spectra

"I don't like your tone, buddy…" Ace replied "It sounds clearly mocking…"

"Well, I never did expect a mercenary like you to pay attention to anything…" Spectra grinned.

Ace's fists clenched as he brought his brows together "Don't underestimate me just because I'm a mercenary…"

Spectra raised his hands in defeat and revealed the mistletoe that hung from his wrist.

Ace's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"So you too, seek to get out of here?" Spectra asked

"Who wouldn't?" Ace asked "This place is too dark for my taste…" He put his hand to his back and held onto the handle of his sword.

"My, my…" Spectra put his hands down "Quite the rash one aren't you?"

"I wouldn't want to team up with the likes of you anyway…" Ace said "You're too cocky for my taste…"

Spectra drew out his sword.

Ace's eyes narrowed "Besides, you're not even a true Darkus knight, so there's no need for me to waste my time on you…"

Spectra grinned "Can't a man change his ways?"

Ace took his sword from his back. He held onto it with two hands and poised to attack Spectra.

"Tell me Ace, what are you going to do with that power from Master Exedra?" Spectra inquired

"I'm going to use it for my own personal interests!" Ace replied "I'll prove that I'm not to be underestimated just because I'm a mercenary!"

"But that's what you are… And a mercenary is supposed to be underestimated…" Spectra mocked

"That's why I'm going to bring you down!" Ace shouted

He charged at Spectra, but all of a sudden, Spectra disappeared.

"Too slow!"

Ace felt the wind rustling behind him. He swung his sword just in time to prevent Spectra from seriously injuring him.

"Quite the sharp one, I see…" Spectra grinned

Ace pushed him away, only to have him disappear from his sight once more. He kept his guard up.

He heard Spectra coming from behind him so he blocked that attack too.

"So much for your honor as a knight!" Ace mocked "Aren't you supposed to be a gentleman?"  
>"Oh please," Spectra said with disgust in his voice "That's just a pathetic excuse! I am no gentleman!"<p>

"So your true colors came flashing out huh?" Ace grinned "Pathetic!"

All of a sudden, Spectra was right in front of him.

They locked swords and said "Sneak attacks weren't really my type of strategy…"

A long battle ensued. Many times, Ace was too close to hurting Spectra fatally, but Spectra would elude him every single time.

"What's the matter Ace?" asked Spectra "Have you had enough?"

Ace was enraged and he swung his sword wildly at Spectra. He missed by a few inches, but he split Spectra's mask in half.

His eyes widened with what he saw.

_Of course… Why didn't I think about it before?_

_Spiky blonde hair and a shift from Pyrus realm to Darkus realm…_

_This guy, Spectra Phantom…_

_Is Mira's brother, Keith Clay!_

_Those blue eyes prove it!_

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Ace Grit…" Spectra muttered as he shook off the fringe that covered his eyes "Perhaps you know who stands before you?"

"Keith Clay…" Ace muttered "Why haven't I thought about that before?"

"It seems that you do…" Spectra muttered

"So you're Mira's brother…"

"And you've also met my little sister… How coincidental…"

"Why did you move from the Pyrus realm to the Darkus realm?" asked Ace

"It's simple; I needed to gain the power of the Darkus attribute…" Spectra replied "Apollonir chose that brat Daniel Kuso over me so I chose to rebel against him. When I acquire the power of the Darkus realm, I can rule over Vestroia entirely!"

"You're crazy if you think that Master Exedra would give the power of Darkus to the likes of you!" Ace shouted

"And so you're the worthy one?" Spectra inquired with mockery in his voice.

"I'm not saying that I am!" Ace said "But I'm a better choice than you are you selfish creep!"

Spectra sniggered "Aren't you quite the comedian?"

"What's so funny?" asked Ace angrily

"You call me selfish when you're no different from me!" Spectra exclaimed as he wounded Ace's arm badly.

Ace wheeled back. His arm was bleeding badly and he was losing focus.

"Well, I guess it's time to say farewell to you, Ace Grit…" Spectra mocked "And I'll take your mistletoe as well…"

Ace tried to get away from Spectra, but his arm was bleeding badly and the pain took its toll on him.

"Don't worry, this won't last longer than it's supposed to…" said Spectra as he took out the mistletoe on his palm.

The mistletoe shimmered a dark purple light and Ace suddenly felt the excruciating pain he felt earlier.

Ace shouted in pain and agony and the mistletoe from inside his bag came out.

"No…" he said in vain.

Spectra bent down and picked up the purple leaf and placed it beside his mistletoe. The two mistletoes glimmered in synchronization as their stems met and became one.

"Ace Grit…" Spectra muttered as he glanced nonchalantly at Ace who was withering in pain "And my first mistletoe…" He dropped a card which revealed Ace's face; it was ripped in half as it fell onto the ground.

The pain still didn't disappear; in fact it was stronger than before.

"Farewell, Ace…" Spectra said "I'll tell my sister how pathetic you were even in the end…"

With that Spectra walked away, leaving Ace in pain.

* * *

><p><strong>OOOOOOH!<br>I hate Spectra here!**

**I mean he was so nice and kind in the story "You will always have me by you" but now he's so evil!**

**ARGHHHH!**

**Oh and pay no heed to my eccentric reactions… =D**

**Anyway, I'm sorry for the late update…**

**And please feel free to click on the REVIEW button and convey your deepest thoughts as I greatly appreciate criticism and violent forms of criticism…**

**Again, pay no heed to these eccentric whims…. =D**

**I'm just excited for some unknown reason… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	5. Useless

**Okay!**

**Here's the fifth chapter!**

**Jet! I really missed you! =D**

**And thanks for the briefing on the RPing stuff… =D**

**Anyway, on with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

Useless

Alice's eyes opened with a flutter. She realized that Masquerade was sleeping beside her. She smiled fondly at her soundly sleeping brother. She sat still for a few minutes until she felt the weight on her shoulder lighten.

Masquerade removed his head from Alice's shoulder and yawned contentedly.

"Did you have a nice sleep brother?" Alice asked

Masquerade nodded "And you?"

Alice nodded.

"We better get the other mistletoe I felt last night." Masquerade said "It's not far off."

Alice nodded as she looked outside "The sun still isn't here…" Alice said

"Yeah." Masquerade nodded "Perhaps this is an alternate dimension that Master Exedra created."

"I never thought that the Darkus power could do that…" Alice said

"The powers of the six attributes can do many things." Masquerade said as he took her hand and led her out of the cave.

_And I plan to free you if it was given to me…_

They walked along a path until they reached a clearing welcomed by a waterfall. Alice gasped at the majestic sight that stood before her. She smiled as she saw the long way down.

"It's huge." Alice exclaimed breathlessly. She turned to her brother and asked "Is this the place?"

Masquerade nodded as he looked around. He looked for the mistletoe.

"Do you need help brother?" Alice asked as she raised her staff.

Masquerade nodded and smiled "I would appreciate it…"

Alice raised her staff and soon the pristine white light came out of it. She felt the familiar piercing sensation she felt yesterday, only now it was stronger and more sinister than before.

She looked cautiously behind her, but nothing was there. Her heartbeat raced.

_What if we were being followed?_

Little did Alice know that her instincts were right. Shadow, the Darkus fool that Spectra sent after them, was following them closely.

Shadow knew better than to attack the twins without Spectra's permission. He learned the painful way that Spectra didn't like sneaky and disgraceful manners of eliminating an opponent.

_This mage can feel me…_

_But she keeps on shrugging it off…_

He licked his lips in amusement and said "That will be her end…"

Masquerade caught sight of something shinning at Alice's direction. He went there and picked up the fragile little leaf.

"The second one." Alice gleefully said.

Masquerade nodded as he turned to her and gave her the mistletoe. Like before, the mistletoe disappeared in a flash of white light.

Like before, Shadow felt a sudden shooting pain inside his head. He knew better than to ignore it. He knew that Spectra was relaying a message to him about these two unsuspecting brats.

"I see you have restrained yourself from shamelessly attacking those two, Shadow…" Spectra's voice boomed inside his head.

Shadow bit his lower lip to prevent himself from screaming out in pain. He could hear Spectra's chuckle inside his head "That's nice… Don't let them know how near you are to them… It will spoil the surprise…"

"What—what do you want me to do now?" Shadow asked

"I will ask you now, not to kill them…" Spectra replied "I have two mistletoes in my disposal. You may do as you wish, but I will say it again, do not kill them…"

"Why?" Shadow asked amidst his pain "You don't have a use for that stargazer… Why not just kill him?"

"Because I have other plans for him and his little sister…" Spectra replied as the pain inside Shadow's head intensified "Perhaps this will teach you not to question me, Shadow Prove…"

Shadow muttered "Fine… Fine…"

And with that the agonizing pain inside Shadow's head disappeared. He looked up and turned back to where the twins were.

Alice and Masquerade decided to sit by the waterfall while they wait for Masquerade to feel another mistletoe close by.

Shadow took his chance as he made himself known. He stood from where he was crouched down and laughed loudly.

Masquerade and Alice made a sharp turn towards him. Masquerade went in front of Alice protectively.

_I was right!_

_Someone was following us!_

"Well, I guess I have to take care of the two of you…" Shadow said as he took out an orb from the pocket of his robe.

Alice went in front of her brother and raised her staff defensively. Masquerade was surprised.

_This is my fault…_

_If I had told brother then maybe we could have done something about it…_

_I have to take responsibility for this…_

"Alice, what are you doing?" asked Masquerade

"Don't worry, brother." Alice managed a smile "I know who this guy is…" she turned to Shadow and said "Shadow Prove right? You're the Darkus fool, the one who tried to imitate Master Exedra's kind, the Hydras…"

"And you're Alice…" Shadow said with a smirk "The Darkus mage who came from the line of Hydras, specifically the one they call Hydranoid…" he turned to Masquerade and said "And that's your pathetic little twin who became a worthless stargazer…"

"What did you say?" Alice asked

"What? You got offended?" Shadow smirked "I don't think so, Little Miss Mage… Admit it; your brother is useless… You're better off without him…"

Masquerade's thoughts were shut off at the moment. He didn't know how he was going to react.

"Take that back!" Alice demanded as she sounded a little braver than usual "My brother is not useless!"

Shadow and Masquerade were flabbergasted.

"He's the only family I have left and he loves me very much…" Alice said half-shouting "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be right here! When we were kids, he always only cares about my well-being and even now, he still does…" she brought her staff in front of her which glowed a radiant yellow light "And whoever says anything bad about him will have to answer to me!"

Masquerade was baffled.

_Alice…_

Shadow grinned as he held onto the orb with both hands. A plasmatic sphere formed inside the orb. Shadow laughed loudly as he pointed the orb towards Alice.

Masquerade turned to Alice worriedly. Alice merely glanced back at her worried brother and smiled comfortingly.

Masquerade found himself inside a yellow cube.

_A mirror cube?_

_Does this mean that Alice intends to battle this guy alone?_

Masquerade knew all too well what a mirror cube was for. A mirror cube was used by mages to protect something or someone and prevent them from interfering. And as could only watch as his little sister went off to battle alone.

Alice wordlessly brought her staff in front of her and the yellow light shone brighter.

"Let's see how you fight an imitation, Hydra!" Shadow shouted, but his voice sounded too grotesque to be that of a man, and too savage to be that of an animal. In fact it sounded like…

"Hades!" Alice's eyes widened as she realized that Hades took over Shadow's body.

"Scared stiff are we now?" Shadow teased in Hades' fearsome voice.

Shadow raised the orb and light started to leak out of it. Soon it broke and a luminous purple ball appeared on Shadow's hand.

"Feel the wrath of the Darkus fool, you pathetic Hydra!" shouted Shadow as he threw split the ball in half and threw the smaller one towards Alice.

Alice spun her staff and as the deadly purple ball made contact with her staff, it evaporated into thin air.

Shadow's eyes widened "How…?"

"Do you see this light?" Alice asked pointedly at the light "It came from the Haos apprentice, Runo… She gave me this light as a sign of our friendship. Since the opposite of darkness is light, I can nullify all of your attacks headed for me…"

"We'll see about that, Hydra!" Shadow exclaimed.

The exchange of attacks lasted for long and all that Masquerade could do was watch. Alice took out the last purple ball that Shadow had in his hands.

Shadow was panting and breathing heavily. Alice managed to take out all of the purple balls he threw at her. As exhaustion took over him, he fell onto the ground.

The mirror cube was dispelled from Masquerade as he ran towards Alice who fell on her knees.

"Are you alright, Alice?" he asked

Alice nodded "I'm just not used to it yet… It's the first time I used my powers…"

Masquerade reached out his hand towards her and helped her up "You really are reckless…"

Alice smiled teasingly "Hey, I got that from you…"

Shadow could hear the conversation. He was exhausted, but he knew he had to do something, else who knows what Spectra might do to him or to the others.

He took out a dart from his chest pocket, poised and aimed for Alice.

Masquerade was quicker though, he took Alice by her shoulders and slid her to the other side, making the dart pierce his back.

Alice was aghast "Brother!"

Masquerade's hands on her shoulders fell lax and soon his entire body's weight shifted onto Alice. Alice stumbled backwards and didn't notice that they were standing on the edge of the clearing. They stood hundreds of feet above the ground and below them were the loudly roaring grumble of the waterfall.

Alice couldn't support her and Masquerade's weight; she helplessly fell down along with her brother from the edge.

Shadow didn't see what happened to the twins, but he had a satisfied smirk on his face as he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>That's a wrap for now!<strong>

**So I wonder what will happen to Masquerade and Alice after they plunged into the unknown waters from hundreds of feet from the ground. =D**

**Anyway, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest thoughts regarding this fic as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	6. Encounter

**This might be the last consecutive update that I'll have for now…**

**Sorry guys!**

**Christmas vacation is almost over and school's coming back to get me!**

**This reminds me about the thesis I'm supposed to do…**

**AAAAARGGGGGGGGGGH!**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

Encounter

Alice emerged from the waters of the waterfall. She slung her brother's arm across her shoulder since he seemed to be unconscious.

Alice saw a dry cave and headed there. She carefully placed her brother down on his side. She pulled out the dart on his back and was relieved to see that it wasn't a deep wound. But she was worried still.

_Why isn't he waking up?_

She examined the dart as he eyes started glowing red. It was an ability that came from being twins. She can find out anything hidden in an object once it gets associated with their twin.

Her eyes widened as she realized what it was.

_Poison?_

_My brother's poisoned!_

She shook him slightly, there was no response. She leaned her ear against his chest; his breathing was short and ragged.

_No doubt about it…_

_He has been poisoned…_

_But what kind?_

Alice winced at the thought of her brother's cold and lifeless body right in front of her. She knew she had to do something, but what?

"Alice…" Masquerade mumbled as he took hold of her left hand.

Alice turned her attention to Masquerade who seemed to be barely holding on.

"Don't—don't use your abilities as a mage…" he said "I can't risk the little time you have left… Leave me here… There's no hope for me…"

Tears swelled in Alice's eyes. Here she was, sitting before her brother who is dying and although she _can_ do something for him, he wouldn't allow it.

"Quit being so stubborn and let me heal you!" Alice shouted "Why won't you let me use my abilities to heal you? Why are you asking me to leave you for dead here? Why?"

Masquerade managed a chuckle "Because you told me that you were afraid of your abilities as a mage… You told me that you were afraid of being a mage because it meant that I'd lose you…"

Alice raised her head and exclaimed "Well I'm more afraid of doing nothing while you die in front of me when I know I can do something to help you!"

Masquerade weakly shook his head as he let go of Alice's hand "Just leave me be…"

"Why can't you understand that I don't want to lose you too?" Alice shouted "You're the only one I have left and curse or no curse, I'm going to heal you! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

Masquerade didn't hear her though. He was unconscious by then.

Alice summoned her staff and she walked away from Masquerade.

_I won't let you die, brother…_

_There's no way you can keep me from healing you…_

She closed her eyes and concentrated. She decided to ask help from her friends first before she resorts to using her mage abilities. There was still hope and she knew that.

Soon a yellow mirror appeared in front of her. It showed a girl with blue eyes and hair tied in pig tails that matched her eyes color; she wore a yellow gown. She was Runo, the Haos guardian, Lars Lion's apprentice.

Runo smiled widely and genuinely "Alice! It's been a long time since I saw you! How have you been?"

Alice tried her best to smile "I'm fine Runo… Wet, but I'm fine…"

Runo noticed that Alice's background was dark "Who turned off the lights? Where are you?" she asked

"I'm in an alternate realm inside the Darkus realm created by Master Exedra." Alice briefly replied "Master Exedra is choosing his apprentice and me and my brother were one of the candidates. He brought us here to test which is the worthy one…"

"So what happened?" Runo asked as she sensed something bothered Alice.

"My brother got poisoned…" Alice replied

Runo's eyes widened.

"And I was wondering if you knew how to make an antidote for poisons…" Alice said; her tone was hopeful.

Runo sadly shook her head "Sorry Alice… Truth is our people here in the Haos realm die as soon as they get poisoned. We've no abilities to cure poisons of make an antidote… Sorry…"

Alice shook her head; she tried to seem cheerful even though her face fell "It's alright, thanks anyway Runo… If I find out a useful antidote, I'll help you out."

Runo smiled "Thanks Alice! You should ask Shun or Marucho since their realms have some pretty good knowledge about stuff like that…"

Alice smiled nervously. She never liked talking to Shun. She nodded anyway and said "I will, thanks Runo!"

The yellow mirror disappeared. Alice concentrated again and this time two mirrors appeared: a green one and a blue one.

"Hello Marucho. Hello Shun." Alice briefly greeted.

Marucho smiled and greeted "Hello Alice!" Shun merely nodded in acknowledgement.

"How is it going?" asked Marucho.

"Well… I'm in an alternate realm inside the Darkus realm created by Master Exedra to test us as his candidates for apprenticeship." Alice replied under her breath "Anyway, do you guys know of an antidote against poison?" she asked in a hurry "My brother got poisoned…"

Marucho's eyes widened "Poisoned?"

Alice nodded "I asked Runo and she told me to ask you guys…"

"Well, I can't deny that we have been developing some antidotes for poisons, but I doubt that it can cure any poison…" Marucho sadly said "Sorry Alice… But I can't give it to you since it hasn't been proven safe yet…"

Shun finally spoke then "I won't deny that we do have poisons here in the Ventus realm, but the antidotes for our poisons are vastly different from yours. And since Darkus and Ventus realms are far apart, our antidote may not work on your brother…"

Alice nodded "Thanks anyway, guys…" she managed a weak smile "I appreciated it…"

Marucho sadly nodded "I'm sorry I couldn't help you Alice…"

Shun nodded "Same here…"

"No it's alright…" Alice smiled "I thought I'd have to use my abilities after all… Thank you guys…"

"I hope you pass the test Alice…" Marucho said "If you become Master Exedra's apprentice, we'd be able to work all together…"

Alice smiled as she said "I don't think I'm cut out to be Master Exedra's apprentice…" She waved goodbye and said "Well I have to go…"

And with that the two mirrors disappeared. Alice made her way to a grassy meadow. She closed her eyes as she brought her staff in front of her.

"Aren't you being reckless, little one?" asked a voice which came from nearby.

Alice was startled; she dismissed her staff and asked "Who's there?"

A chuckle could be heard as Spectra emerged from the shadows. He smirked at her knowingly "There's no need to be afraid… I know you are the Darkus mage…"

Alice backed off in fear. She didn't know why, but his presence intimidated her; it frightened her even.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" inquired Spectra

Alice gulped and replied "I'm looking for an antidote for my brother… He's been poisoned by the Darkus fool…"

"And using your abilities to gain knowledge was your plan?" asked Spectra.

Alice nodded "If I don't do it, he might die…"

Spectra knelt on the ground and said "Despite this bizarre environment, the plants here are natives of the Darkus realm." He picked up a flower and said "This flower is used as an antidote for most of poisons found here in our realm…"

Alice eyed it carefully. She still felt uneasy, but Spectra was being exceptionally kind to her and her brother.

"Why are you helping me?" asked Alice

"Because you need it." Spectra plainly replied "And as a knight of Master Exedra, I cannot simply ignore one who is in trouble…"

Alice's suspicions left her completely.

_So he was just being a gentleman…_

Spectra thrust the flower into her hand and said "Take it… I am sure that your brother needs it…"

Alice nodded graciously and smiled "Thank you!" She stood up and said "I have to be going now."

Spectra merely nodded as he watched Alice run into the cave. He turned back and saw Shadow sitting on a rock.

"Why did you give her the flower?" Shadow asked

"That is none of your business Shadow… That will be the first and last action of kindness I shall give her…"

"I thought we were going to destroy her?" Shadow exclaimed as Spectra started to walk away from him.

"Like I said, my actions will not concern you whatsoever…" Spectra snapped "You shall take care of the Darkus hermit next… Track him down…"

"Hey, I'm not a hound…" Shadow retorted.

Spectra turned to Shadow and soon Shadow fell onto the ground. An excruciating pain enveloped Shadow's head once more.

"Have you not yet learned your lesson, Shadow Prove?" Spectra asked as the pain intensified "Do not meddle with my business or you shall have your life ended before it even starts…"

Shadow nodded weakly. And just like that the pain disappeared.

Alice ran inside the cave and knelt beside her brother. She summoned her staff and created a ball of water on her palm. She placed the flower she received from Spectra and it dissolved. The water turned to green and Alice beamed up. Green was the color of antidotes in their realm.

She placed it in a chalice. She helped Masquerade sit up and she made him drink the contents of the chalice.

Masquerade groaned and gained consciousness. He turned and saw Alice on the brink of tears.

"Alice…?" he rasped.

Without another word, Alice threw her arms around her brother and brought him to a tight embrace. She was crying, tears of joy cascaded down her cheeks like a waterfall.

Masquerade reluctantly wrapped his arms around Alice as well. It was indeed unfair of him to keep her from using her powers so that he wouldn't lose her, but in return she'd lose him.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized.

"You idiot!" Alice softly said "Don't you ever dare saying those words again!"

Masquerade nodded "Yes I promise… I am so sorry…"

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><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**I apologize in advance if the next chapter will come out late…**

**Circumstances at home really don't help in this…**

**Anyway please don't hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts as I greatly appreciate it… =D**

**Happy New Year everyone! =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	7. Ren Krawler: The second mistletoe

**Hey there!**

**I'm so sorry for not being able to update in so long! =D**

**Circumstances mentioned in my profile prevent me from doing so…**

**And I am so thankful to Starless Skyline for the criticism! =D**

**Strangely enough, I loved the criticism… =D**

**I agree that I do tend to be short on details because of my tardiness… =D**

**As for my grammar… Well… I tried to take precautions by typing the chapter in MSWord before I update it, but I tend to ignore the corrections because aside from my tardiness, I also tend to be stubborn… =D**

**As for Mira's unexplained and sudden attitude change towards Ace, it _will _be explained I promise… =D**

**Anyway…**

**On with the story! =D**

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Ren Krawler: The second Mistletoe

Ren walked around aimlessly. He kept away from easily found places and hid behind the unfamiliar trees that surrounded him from all sides.

He was used to wandering around. As a hermit, he had no permanent home and he knew his way around seemingly desperate situations such as these.

The leaves crunched as he stepped on the forest floor. The constant rhythm made his breathing stay calm and relaxed.

He looked around and smiled when he saw that he wasn't where he was before. He sat on a sturdy rock at his left. He let out a heavy sigh and put the pack which he slung on his shoulder down.

He opened the pack and a golden amulet with a five-pointed white star welcomed him. He smiled at the sight of it. The white star was embossed on the golden amulet. It was the sign of the Haos attribute.

The amulet was given to him by the Haos Princess, Fabia, as a sign that he was welcome to the Haos palace whenever he needed a home.

Initially, Fabia didn't like Ren, because he resides in the Darkus realm. But he prove himself to be worthy of her trust.

Fabia gave him a Haos amulet to signify her trust to him; along with it, Fabia gave him permission to make the Haos palace his home.

Ren was deeply touched by Fabia's kindness. He was about to leave his life as a hermit and accept Fabia's warm invitation, but he was called by Master Exedra for this test.

He always brought the amulet with him, mainly because he had nowhere else to store it, but also because it reminded him of the home he has in the other realm.

He polished it with the sleeves of his coat and put it back in. He pulled out a leather pouch that had a few slices of bread Fabia gave him for his journey.

He chewed slowly and savored the distinguishing taste of the Haos loaf. It was quite different than what he was used to, but he found it appetizing nonetheless.

_I wonder how Princess Fabia is doing…_

Up to this point, he could care less if Master Exedra didn't choose him as the next apprentice. All he wanted was to return to the Haos realm where he can finally have a place to call home.

With those thoughts alone, he was contented.

He smiled as he remembered the good times he spent in the Haos realm. He closed his eyes and imagined the life he would be living inside Fabia's palace as a Darkus representative who took permanent residence in that realm. He would be treated with respect; he would never be alone again.

Fabia's navy blue hair and striking emerald eyes came from the back of his mind. Her elegant pink earrings accentuate her perfectly shaped ear and enhance her beauty. Her face spoke of strength and elegance at the same time. Her lilac Neathian gown trailed behind her as she walked. Her footsteps were as light as a feather and her movements were fine and precise.

Everything she was spoke of utter freedom and bondage. Freedom to be who you are and yet bondage to the duties you bear upon your shoulders. Ren remembered every crucial detail of his future Mistress and admired it with careful awe.

His thoughts were stopped short when he heard a small, mocking chuckle. He whirled around to the sound of the voice with his left hand on hilt of his short sword strapped on the side of his belt.

Hermits were peaceful citizens of Vestroia, however when the need arises, they will not hesitate to fight especially when they have done nothing wrong. Ren, like all other hermits, were trained carefully in tracking, combat and survival aspects.

Spectra appeared before him. With a smirk the knight asked "Why are you so tensed, Wise one?"

Ren withdrew his grip on the hilt of his sword. He stood up straight and said "Forgive me; I did not know that it was you…"

"Why the sudden formality?" asked Spectra

"You are a knight, while I am a mere hermit who has no place to call home." Ren replied his tone was full of respect.

"Your tongue is like honey and words of praise pour from it like a hive." Spectra said "Humor me then. What does a hermit want?"

"A place where they can be accepted and a place they can call home." Ren replied briefly and swiftly.

He planned to stay away from the usual trails to avoid confrontation with the others. He did not like complicated works of action; he wanted to end this ordeal as soon as possible.

_I want to return to the Haos realm once more…_

Spectra chuckled "I see… And have you found one yet?"

Ren did not answer. He should not reveal every single thing about himself without knowing who he was dealing with. He tried to study Spectra, looking for anything he did that might give him a clue as to what Spectra wanted.

_Of course it goes without saying that this one wants to get all five Mistletoes as soon as possible and become Master Exedra's apprentice._

A hearty laugh escaped Spectra's lips. It was full of amusement and glee. Ren stared at him in confusion.

_Has he gone completely mad?_

"No." Spectra sniggered and stopped his laughter "I am not mad, Ren. I am thinking within the confines of logic and reason. I laugh because you have found out what it is I want."

"What are you saying?" asked Ren as his confusion grew larger.

"You deducted that I wanted to find all of the five Mistletoes to get out of here and become Master Exedra's apprentice." Spectra clarified for him.

Ren was baffled.

_How could he possible know what I was thinking?_

As a reply to Ren's wondering thoughts, Spectra held out his hand; his palm faced the purple nighttime sky. Resting on his palm were two Mistletoe leaves joined in a single branch.

Ren's golden eyes widened "You have acquired two of the five Mistletoes?"

Spectra nodded "That I have. I am on the process of acquiring my second stolen one…" he pointedly turned to the pack Ren was carrying earlier.

Ren realized that Spectra meant him as the second stolen Mistletoe. He would gladly give it without another word, but as he observed, it doesn't seem like Spectra will simply accept it as it goes to him on a golden platter.

"Why have you become silent, Wise one?" mocked Spectra.

"Wise one…" Ren echoed with distaste "That is what you think of us hermits?"

"Of course. How else shall I think of you?" asked Spectra.

"We are also not quick to battle, and you should know that."

"Is that a warning, Wise one?"

Ren shook his head "But since you insist that I am a Wise one, I have come to offer you a proposition."

Spectra crossed his arms in front of his chest and nodded "I'm listening."

"I shall give you my Mistletoe," said Ren "But I need your word that you shall not attack me or follow me anymore."

Spectra didn't utter a word and kept his gaze focused on Ren.

"I am sure you still need time to look for the other two who posses the last of the Mistletoes." Ren continued "And you have no more time to waste on the likes of me who am a lowly hermit. If you gain the second stolen Mistletoe without any difficulty would that not be to your advantage?"

Spectra nodded once "You have made a good point, Wise one. You live up to the reputation you keep. True, I still have to track down the last two Mistletoes, and that I have no more time to waste on you. The question is: why are you going so far as to keep yourself from drawing your sword and fighting with me?"

Ren was caught off-guard by this question. He never expected Spectra to ask him of his true intentions.

"I merely want to preserve my life and see more of Vestroia." Ren replied after stressing out for the reason for his actions "We hermits are content with the life we have and the things that we do with it."

"Are you sure it is not because you wish to go back to the Haos realm where you are so welcomed?" Spectra raised an eyebrow.

Ren turned to Spectra abruptly.

_How could he know?_

"Wise one, your thoughts are open and bare." Spectra said in a low and yet amused voice "But you are an ordinary person after all, so it cannot be helped…"

"Stop scurrying inside my mind, Darkus knight." Ren demanded in a menacing tone "You are not as noble as I think."

"And you are not wise as I think." Spectra grinned "If you were then you would have realized by now that the Haos princess was merely using you for her own purposes."

"Stop taking about Princess Fabia like that!" Ren shouted as his left hand found the hilt of his sword and drew it halfway out of its sheath "You know nothing of her and you have no right to talk of her as such!"

"Oh really?" Spectra mockingly asked "Why then, did she agree to your stay? She is a princess and politics is her ultimate priority. She is a Neathian, a Neathian princess whilst you are of Gundalian blood, like most hermits. For many years, your races have fought amongst one another and have found no solution to your quarrels.

"When your beloved Princess saw you, she detested you from the very pits of her heart." Spectra said with a grin "But she set her personal feelings aside and saw your coming as an opening to the Gundalian whom she despises.

"Your purpose, Ren, was nothing more than to be a bridge to the Gundalians' destruction."

Ren shook his head and said "I refuse to believe the likes of you! Your honor is lower than that of a crawling ant."

Spectra drew out his sword and scoffed "You compare me to a mere insect that crawls on the ground when you are no better than the maggots that squirm in discomfort."

Enraged, Ren drew out his sword. The silver blade gleamed in the dim moonlight. Swords of hermits were often sharper and deadlier than the normal ones.

"Just because you can read my mind, doesn't mean that you already have an advantage over me…" Ren said

"We will have to see about that." Spectra smirked "I dueled with the mercenary a few days past and he didn't even stand a chance against me. You, on the other hand, focus more on strategies and think many times before you act. Fighting you will be a challenge indeed."

Ren wasted no time in swinging his sword towards Spectra. Spectra wheeled backwards, but landed on his feet. Ren's golden eyes flashed with anger "Are you going to fight or talk?"

Spectra dusted the end of his coat with the back of his hand and said "Hasty aren't you, Wise one?"

"After your insults against Princess Fabia, I will finish you quickly and painfully." Ren said

"But what I say is true." Spectra said "She is merely using your for her own gain. Do you honestly think that a Haos Princess like her will ever hold someone like you with importance?"

Ren swung his sword at Spectra.

"Your words are more dangerous than your sword, Sir Knight." Ren said as his golden eyed gleamed with amusement "Is this how you brought down a mercenary, through mere words and no actions? Your work was poorly done then…"

"You will eat those words once I am done with your life, Wise one." Spectra smirked.

A fierce display of swordsmanship ensued. Spectra was skilled and he lived up to his title as 'knight'.

Ren on the other hand, wasn't so bad himself. He could easily block or deflect Spectra's attacks even when he aimed for a blind spot. He too was experienced in battle due to his excessive travelling.

The duel lasted for long. Their blades locked and for a moment they stared into each other's eyes with expressions of their own.

Spectra's blue eyes reflected desperation and irritation.

Ren's golden eyes reflected triumph and determination.

They jumped back, tearing themselves away from each other.

Spectra was panting and he suffered a few cuts and had some bruises when Ren hit him with the hilt of his sword.

Ren on the other hand didn't seem fazed at all. He looked like he was enjoying himself actually. A smile played on his lips.

"What could you possibly be happy about?" Spectra asked in an irritated tone.

"Battle…" Ren replied "It is such a pleasure to best you in the art you excel in."

Spectra's brows came together to form an angered expression on his masked face. He bellowed an incoherent cry as he charged towards Ren.

Ren smirked. He knew that an enraged person could very well be useless and senseless. But he kept his guard up. An enraged person can also be as dangerous as they are senseless.

Spectra skidded to a halt, much to Ren's surprise. He kicked up some dust towards Ren's eye level.

Ren growled at the cowardly act and the obviously cheap trick. He covered his eyes as he wheeled backwards.

"Such cheap tricks!" Ren exclaimed

Spectra's voice boomed all around him. A cruel laughter echoed within the area "Is it now, Wise one? If it was so cheap, then why didn't you do anything against it?"

Spectra emerged from behind Ren. He raised his sword and prepared to slash Ren's back when a hand grabbed his wrist securely.

Spectra gasped "What?"

"Why you ask?" Ren asked in a mocking tone "Because I have perfect ways to counter against it."

He turned to Spectra without releasing his grasp on Spectra's wrist. His eyes were closed, but it seemed like he could still see perfectly.

"This will be your undoing, Sir Knight." Ren said "You've no honor and no regard for it."

Ren raised his blade, eyes still closed, above his head. He poised to kill Spectra with a single blow.

All of a sudden, the wind rushed behind him. Something hard and dangerously pointed pierced his back. Ren dropped his sword and fell on his knees, trembling and his vision swirling.

Spectra rotated his wrist, the one that Ren so ferociously grasped. It didn't seem to be injured in any way.

He turned to the darkness that stretched behind Ren and said "You were late, Shadow Prove…"

Shadow emerged out from the shadows, his tongue was sticking out and he had the signature deranged look on his face.

"I was not." Shadow laughed "My timing was perfect…"

Spectra threw his head back and said "If you were a second later, I would've lost my hand by now."

Ren turned towards Spectra and his strange companion. The poison was slowly spreading to his systems, rendering him numb and immobile.

"How…" Ren rasped

"Aww…" Shadow said with mock sympathy "The pathetic hermit is dying…"

"You were right, Wise one…" Spectra mocked "Cheap tricks do not work on you."

Spectra bent down to the pack that Ren was carrying. The Haos amulet welcomed him. He chuckled as he picked it up.

Ren's eyes widened in rapture "Let that go!"

"So this is what Princess Fabia gave to you in exchange for the destruction of the Gundalians…" Spectra muttered. He placed it inside the pocket of his coat and said "You are a fool, Wise one…"

Ren tried to crawl towards Spectra and retrieve the Haos amulet, but his entire body was paralyzed and he couldn't even move a finger. Nausea and exhaustion took over him. His breath became heavy and labored.

Spectra took the Mistletoe from inside Ren's pack. He placed it on his palm along with the other two. Their branches entwined and shared one stem.

"Worry not," said Spectra "you will die soon enough. You won't live to see Princess Fabia's betrayal on your people…"

Ren could only stare into the distance as Spectra and Shadow disappeared.

He clenched his fists as his vision dimmed and turned pitch black.

_Princess Fabia…_

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><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**Sorry I couldn't update!**

**I'll try to update by this week… =D**

**Until then, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding this fic…**

**Praises, criticisms and violent reactions are very much welcome as long as they are not too much… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	8. The truth of Ace

**I just couldn't resist the urge to update again… =D**

**Ace comes back in this chapter so for those who missed him (if there are any) he's back!**

**Also, Mira's behavior is explained here… =D**

**So on with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

The truth of Ace

Alice and Masquerade headed out of the cave they were hiding in and continued to search for the remaining Mistletoes.

"How exactly did you find an antidote for me?" asked Masquerade as they walked under the dark night-like sky.

"The Darkus Knight told me how to." Alice replied plainly.

Masquerade nodded, as relief flooded through his entire system.

"That's strange…" Masquerade muttered

"What is?" Alice inquired

"I can feel the presence of the Mistletoes, but…" his voice trailed off as Alice walked ahead of him.

Alice bent over a small shrub with yellow flowers on them. It was the same flower that Spectra gave her as an antidote to Shadow's poison.

She turned back to Masquerade and asked "What is it brother?"

"The Mistletoes," muttered Masquerade "they're all clumped together, like they're all in the same location."

"What does that mean?" asked Alice as curiosity got the best of her.

"It either means that the other three competitors have joined forces or…" he paused "One of those three got all three of them…"

Alice pondered on that for a moment. After Masquerade awakened, he still rested for quite some time to regain his full strength. She was more than relieved to see that her brother was no longer in danger.

"Well, since I was asleep for most of the time, I didn't feel it when the Mistletoes merged so we can't tell what really happened…" Masquerade said.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Alice as she turned to her brother for instruction "We have an advantage that the other three don't…"

Masquerade turned to his sister and smiled "Right you are, Alice… And because of that we can reach to them without endangering ourselves…"

Alice nodded. She returned to Masquerade's side as she put the yellow flowers away in a flash of lavender light.

Like a gentleman, Masquerade offered out his hand to his little sister with a playful smile on his face.

"What's with you?" Alice asked while grinning

"I'd just thought I'd make sure you won't choose that Knight over me." Masquerade replied "So I'm going to be gentleman too…"

Alice chuckled and soon she laughed out loud. Masquerade had a confused look on his face.

"I'm sorry…" Alice said as she finally suppressed her laughter. She turned to her brother and took his outstretched hand in hers "Seriously brother, all this because of that?"

Masquerade shrugged.

"Don't worry." Alice said "No matter what happens, you'll still be my brother and I'll still choose you over him…"

"That's all I wanted to know…" Masquerade grinned.

Alice chuckled as she and Masquerade walked further into the forest.

Like always, Alice illuminated their path. Masquerade kept a secure grip on her hand.

They stopped in front of a river when Masquerade stopped feeling the presence of the three Mistletoes.

Alice produced a chalice from her hand and dipped it in the river. She handed it to Masquerade and asked "Are you thirsty?"

Masquerade took the chalice and nodded graciously.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Alice giggled.

"I never thought I'd be so thirsty after being poisoned…" Masquerade said after he exhaled contentedly.

"Another?" Alice offered.

Masquerade shook his head as he stood up and got water from the river himself.

"Do you want anything else?" asked Alice

"Are you hungry?" asked Masquerade

"Are you?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

Masquerade nodded "Famished…"

"That's what I thought…" Alice smiled.

She produced two fishing rods in a flash of lavender. She handed one to Masquerade and said "Then you have to fish for it…"

Her brother smiled as he took the fishing rod from Alice's hand. He expected as much.

"I'll go look for some fruits." Alice announced

Masquerade turned to her and called after her "Be careful…"

Alice turned to her brother and saw the worry in his eyes. She smiled and said "I will."

And with that she disappeared into the trees.

Masquerade sighed as he threw the pole into the river. He tried fishing before, so waiting wasn't really a strain for him. He caught three medium sized fishes and he got impatient after that.

He withdrew the pole and settled it beside him. He looked around for a sign of Alice's light. She left him with a smokeless fire that she got from Daniel Kuso, the Pyrus guardian's apprentice.

He cleaned the fish and placed them on sticks, afterwards he placed them around the fire to let them cook.

His head snapped up when he heard the shrill shriek of Alice's voice. Without another thought, he left the fish and ran to where he last saw Alice. He didn't know exactly where she was, but he was sure to find her.

They were twins after all…

Masquerade didn't have much trouble looking for Alice. He saw her still holding her staff, but had a terrified look on her face. Her hand was clamped in front of her mouth.

"What's wrong Alice?" asked Masquerade

Alice ran to her brother and pointed to the horror-that-was-still-unseen "I stepped on that…"

Masquerade peeked and his mouth dropped agape at the sight of it.

Before them was a mint-haired boy. His arm had a huge wound, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. He was unconscious, but his face expressed intense and deep pain.

"The Darkus Mercenary." Masquerade muttered "Is he dead?"

Alice shook her head as she approached the body "I can still sense life within him. It's faint, but it's there…" she knelt before the body and felt his pulse on his neck "Does he have a Mistletoe?" she turned to her brother.

Masquerade shook his head "I don't sense it…"

"We have to help him." Alice stated.

Masquerade doubted for a moment "It could be a trap, Alice…"

"It also couldn't be…" Alice insisted.

Masquerade sighed. His little sister was too kind-hearted, caring and persistent. She always wanted to help anyone in trouble, no matter what the cause.

And what's worse is that she'll insist upon it until he agrees.

"Alright…" Masquerade muttered "Let's bring him to the river."

Alice smiled and nodded "Thanks, brother."

"But once I find out he's after us, I'll cut him down personally…" Masquerade said as he helped Alice bring Ace to the edge of the river where they stayed.

"So how do we help him?" asked Masquerade.

Alice shrugged "I'll ask Julie."

Masquerade nodded.

"I won't take long."

"Take all the time you need…"

Alice took her wand and concentrated. A mirror with a brown frame with intricate carvings appeared in front of her. And in the place of her reflection was a girl with tan skin and silver hair. She wore a pink asymmetrical dress.

She smiled widely and said "Hi Alice! I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Hello Julie." Alice greeted back, indicating the girl in the mirror.

"It's so nice to hear again from you. Master Clayf is so strict." Julie made a sad face "But at least Mira here is allowed to visit me."

"Mira?" Alice echoed

Julie moved aside and pulled a red head like her, but with cobalt blue eyes and simple brown clothes "Alice, this is Mira. Mira, I'd like you to meet Alice."

Mira lost the annoyed expression and turned to the mirror "You must be the Darkus Mage who's the friend of everyone. I'm Mira Clay. It's nice to meet you."

Alice smiled "It's nice to meet you too."

"So why'd you call?" Julie asked "Runo told me about the apprenticeship test."

Alice nodded "Actually, I need your help."

"With what?" asked Julie.

"Someone here is injured." Alice replied.

Julie smiled proudly and gave Mira a pat on the back and said "Well your timing is just perfect! Mira here happens to be a doctor herself…"

Mira smiled sheepishly "I'm still an apprentice though…"

"But you're as good as any doctor!" Julie exclaimed "Quit being so humble al the time. Sometimes it's good to brag…"

"Last time I heard, humility is a good thing…" Mira muttered.

They shared a small laugh and when it stopped Mira asked "Can you let me see the patient?"

Alice nodded "Sure."

Alice moved the mirror using her staff. She tilted it a bit to show them Ace lying on the ground.

Julie and Mira gasped in unison, leaving Alice and Masquerade confused.

"What's wrong Julie?" asked Alice

Julie turned to Mira, who had an unreadable expression on her face, uncertainly "Mira…?"

Mira shook her head and said "I can explain to Alice later, right now, we have to save him."

Quickly and precisely, Mira gave both Alice and Masquerade instructions to help save Ace. All the while, Julie was staring at Mira with a worried look, while Mira seemingly nonchalantly gave instructions.

After a few minutes, they managed to patch up Ace's wounds and rid him of the aftershock of the pain he had.

"He's safe now…" Mira said.

Julie smiled uneasily "Well… It's nice to finally meet Alice's twin sister."

Masquerade was baffled.

_How did Master Clayf's apprentice know me?_

"Don't be so surprised, Masquerade."

Masquerade felt a shiver as Julie mentioned his name.

"Alice always mentions you to all of us." Julie said as those words summed everything up.

A smile tugged Masquerade's mouth when he heard how Alice mentioned him to her friends even in his absence.

"I see… That's comforting then…" Masquerade muttered. He turned to Alice and said "I'll let you ladies have your talk then. I'll look to Ace."

Alice nodded "Thanks, brother."

Alice turned to both Julie and Mira and asked "So it seemed like you knew Ace…"

"Well…" Julie faltered "Mira is better in explaining that…"

Alice turned to Mira expectantly.

Mira sighed "I did say that I will explain myself."

Julie placed a hand on Mira's shoulder comfortingly and said "You go, girl."

Mira smiled in appreciation.

She took a deep breath and started "Ace visited this realm because of his right as a mercenary. We met when he accidentally stumbled to my house. I mistook him for a burglar, but he turned out to be the one who called off the burglar.

"He was nosy." Mira said with a chuckle "But all he ever wanted was to help me… I knew that much…"

A short period of silence enveloped them as Mira paused to collect herself. She gulped and continued "I was also aware that he… held me in a different light. No longer was I a mere friend to him… I knew that he…"

"We understand…" Alice said comfortingly.

Julie nodded.

"Thank you…" Mira said "Because of those things he felt, he promised that he'd help me find my brother, Keith. He did every single thing in his power to find my brother, while I sat and waited for him without doing anything useful."

Mira let out a dry chuckle "I was aware of how he felt. I knew exactly what he felt. And I… I let myself feel the same towards him."

Alice and Julie fell silent.

"I felt the same… and I didn't want to burden him…" Mira started to sob "He was a mercenary and to him freedom is both a want and a need. If I told him of how I felt about him, he never would have left the realm of Subterra and would have gladly given away his freedom. He would devote all of his time looking for my brother, even if he was dead…

"I didn't want him to give up his freedom. I didn't want him to spend his whole life doing something for me…" she chocked and produced a bitter sound "What I truly didn't want was to imprison him with me and then I'll become helpless and hopelessly attached to him…"

Mira wiped off a tear and said "I was a fool… I sent him away. I broke his heart and mine as well… I became cold to him and asked him to leave. I said plenty of hurtful things to him… And I regret it now…"

"Don't worry Mira." Julie said comfortingly "When Ace wakes up, I'm sure you two can patch things up between you…"

Mira chuckled "I hope so Julie…"

Alice nodded "I'm sorry, but I'm getting a little tired… I'll call you two when Ace wakes up."

Mira nodded "Thank you Alice…"

Alice smiled warmly "My pleasure…"

Alice waved her staff and the mirror dissolved into thin air. She managed to drag herself beside her brother.

Masquerade held her arm to support her while standing.

"Are you alright, Alice?" he asked

Alice nodded as they sat down "I'm just tired that's all…"

"I wouldn't say that you're fine if you're tired…"

Alice smiled through half-lidded eyes and said "You're always the disciplinarian…"

Masquerade wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulder and said "Only when it comes to you, because you're the only one I have left…"

Alice's eyes closed fully as she chuckled and said "I guess that's a good thing…"

Masquerade relaxed as he felt Alice's head lax on his shoulder.

He sighed and turned to Ace "Don't you think what you're doing is enough?"

Ace opened his gray eyes and turned to Masquerade "How did you know?"

"Your wound wasn't that serious." Masquerade replied "In fact it was healed when we found you. Mia was overreacting when she saw you because of her affections for you… Although she did a good job of hiding it."

Ace snorted as he sat up "And I thought I was a fool…"

"Everyone can become a fool when love takes over…" Masquerade said as he glanced at his sister, who was sleeping peacefully on his shoulder.

"You seem to love her very much, Stargazer…" Ace commented

"Call me 'Masquerade'." Masquerade said "And, yes, I do love Alice very much." He brushed off a stray lock of hair on her cheek "She is the only one I have left."

"And so you are to her." Ace added

"Yes…" Masquerade nodded "I was poisoned by the Darkus Fool who attacked us. I forbade her to use her abilities as a mage to gain knowledge in order to heal me because I didn't want her to be consumed by her own power…

"Because I loved her, I would gladly die…" Masquerade's right fist clenched "But, if I did she'd be so sad… I was a fool to think that she'd be fine without me…I didn't realize that she loved me as well…"

Ace smirked "You're an interesting one, Masquerade…"

"And so are you…" Masquerade grinned "Now tell me, what happened to you?"

Ace shifted to a more comfortable sitting position "I was attacked by the Darkus Knight, Spectra… He took my Mistletoe… Would that be fine as an explanation?"

"The Knight?" Masquerade echoed "Alice told me that the Knight helped her cure me of my poisoning…"

"Maybe it was merely an act to gain your trust." Ace said "But I don't really know what's in the mind of that one…"

Masquerade nodded "You should get some rest… Alice won't be able to communicate with Mira, yet… She's too tired…"

Ace nodded "I'm indebted to her and to you as well… You have my thanks for saving me, Darkus Stargazer, Masquerade." He smiled and turned to Alice and said in a softer tone "And to you too, Darkus Mage, Alice…"

Ace stretched out his left hand. Masquerade took it with his right and they shook hands.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm too tired to make a comment…<strong>

**Anyway… It may be long before I update again…**

**You know the routine… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	9. The Haos Princess

**Yay!**

**I'm finally back!**

**Ugh… we had so many quizzes this week… **

**But anyway, I'm here again with a change of scenery for this chapter… =D**

**On with it! =D**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

The Haos Princess

Fabia pushed open the doors of the Haos palace. She walked as silently as the breeze and her footsteps were as light as a feather as she made her way through the carpeted hall.

A trail of Haos soldiers followed closely behind her. The soldiers behind her were careful not to step on the ends of her long purple dress.

A diadem with pearl strings and peridot gems adorned her navy blue hair. The gems matched her striking emerald eyes. She wore a displeased expression on her royal face.

Every servant stood out of her way and paid respect as she passed by. They knew when the princess was in one of her moods and knew better than to speak a word to her.

Her fists clenched harder and harder with each and every step. She was mad, angry and infuriated and she has called for an audience with Lars Lion and her apprentice, Runo.

"Princess, this is the door to Lady Runo's room." Elright, the captain of the soldiers informed Fabia.

Fabia nodded and said "You may all stay here. I can take care of this myself."

Elright nodded "As you command, Princess…"

The doors with a stained glass pane showing Lars Lion wielding her arrows of light opened as Fabia touched it.

Fabia wasted no time in getting inside. She was getting impatient and she no could no longer hold her silence.

Runo curtsied, as a sign of respect for the presence of the Haos Princess. Even though she was the apprentice of the Realm's guardian, Fabia was, by law, still higher than her.

Fabia raised her hand and said "You don't have to treat me with so much respect, Lady Runo. In terms of power and strength you are far more superior than I am."

Runo felt flustered "You say too much…"

Fabia managed a small smile.

Lars Lion knew that something was wrong "What brought you here, Princess?"

"I came for a very important matter, Haos guardian Lars Lion and Haos apprentice Runo," replied Fabia "it regards the apprenticeship test that Master Exedra has given to the few selected ones."

"Ah, I see…" Lars Lion muttered "I was not made aware by it. Exedra moves stealthily and without informing his fellow guardians too…"

"Alice told me about it." Runo said "She contacted me when her brother got poisoned by some freak."

"You know someone from that realm?" asked Lars Lion

Runo nodded "Do you remember the Darkus Mage that came here some time ago? She's the one I'm talking about."

"I see…" Lars Lion said. She turned back to Fabia and asked "What of the test, Princess?"

"Lars Lion, I am sure you were told about the Darkus Hermit who came here not long ago, right?" Fabia asked

Lars Lion nodded "Ren was his name, correct?"

"Yes," Fabia replied "His name is Ren. I gave him a Haos amulet as a sign of my trust and my acceptance of him in my palace."

"Really?" Runo's eyes widened "But wasn't he a Gundalian?"

Fabia looked away and said "Believe me; I do not regret those actions of mine."

Lars Lion's interest was greatly aroused. She knew how much the Haos Princess hated Gundalians "What made you give him the amulet?"

Fabia bravely met Lars Lion and Runo's eyes. She was a Princess of great pride, but when it came to the people she'd come to care about, she discards the title 'Haos Princess'.

She spoke her heart out with one word "Pity…"

Runo was bewildered "Pity?" she echoed

Fabia nodded "I know that he is a Gundalian and that our races have been at war since time immemorial. At first my plan was to show him kindness and then use him as a hostage to make the Gundalians surrender. I don't know how important he was to the Gundalians, but I knew how much Gundalians needed the remaining forces that they had for the possible war.

"I tried to get along with him with the best of my abilities. I kept his existence a secret from most of the people within the palace." Fabia lowered her gaze as guilt suddenly ate her like a caterpillar "He seemed to be content with just staying inside the palace… Maybe it was because I told him to consider the Haos palace his home."

Fabia smiled bitterly "He was so grateful to finally have a place called home. That was when he told me how he always wanted to stop wandering around and stay in one place. It was the wish of all hermits: to find a place where they are accepted freely and stop wandering."

Runo smiled sympathetically as Fabia met her eyes. Lars Lion was quiet, it was the first time she has seen the Haos Princess so mellow.

"I felt pity for him." Fabia repeated and emphasized how she felt "Because of that, I chose to not be heartless and use him as a hostage, but rather I gave him the Haos amulet to show him that I trusted him. And I extended him an invitation to stay in the Haos palace for good.

"There and then, my plan changed." Fabia said "I wanted to cooperate with him. I want to cooperate with him to stop the war once and for all. But before I could say what I wanted to tell him, he was called by Master Exedra to the apprenticeship test."

A long period of silence stretched between the three of them. Lars Lion was the one who first spoke.

"And what of the young man Ren?" asked Lars Lion.

"I don't know…" Fabia said "But the Haos amulet isn't with him."

Lars Lion's purple eyes narrowed "What do you mean?"

Fabia kept her gaze lowered "I don't exactly know… But I couldn't feel his presence with the Haos amulet anymore…"

"And what does that mean exactly?" asked Runo

"That means that Ren isn't with the Haos amulet." Fabia replied "And if he isn't with the Haos amulet that can only mean two things: either he dropped it, which I think is unlikely, or he was attacked and it was taken from him, which I think is more likely."

Lars Lion placed a hand on her chin and said "I see… I think that the second possibility is more likely too."

Fabia's face fell "I was hoping to get in touch with Ren, but I don't know of a possible way to do so."

Runo's face brightened. She approached Fabia and said "I may have a solution to your problem…"

Fabia's head jerked up "Really?"

Runo nodded "Do you remember when I said something about a Darkus mage?"

Fabia nodded.

Runo took out a mirror with a purple frame with intricate inscriptions. She held it up so Fabia could see her own reflection in the mirror.

"What is it?" asked Fabia

"Obviously it's a mirror." Runo sheepishly smiled "But in reality, it's a means of communication Alice left me with."

Fabia's face brightened up "So that means we can communicate with her and find out if they've found Ren."

Runo nodded "Exactly." She glanced down at the mirror and said "It may take a while for us to reach her, but if we do we can talk to her at will."

Fabia clenched her fists on the skirt of her dress and said "It has to work…"

* * *

><p>Alice's eyes opened and she found herself covered by a white coat. She recognized that it belonged to her brother. She sat up and looked around her surroundings. Not much has changed in the landscape, but it was no longer a surprise to her.<p>

"Good morning." Masquerade greeted

Alice turned to her brother and smiled brightly "Good morning to you too…"

Masquerade extended a hand towards Alice who gave his coat to him. He took the coat, took Alice's hand and helped her stand up.

Alice turned to Ace "Are you feeling fine?"

Ace nodded "Thanks to you." He extended his hand and said "I know you already know who I am, but we haven't had a formal introduction yet… I'm Ace Grit, the Darkus Mercenary."

Alice accepted his hand and shook it "Likewise, I'm Alice, the Darkus Mage…"

"Ace told me that the Darkus Knight was the one who attacked him and took his Mistletoe." Masquerade stated

Alice was baffled "Really?"

Ace nodded and supported Masquerade's words "He did some crazy things to me… He spoke inside my head, and made me feel this insane headache. I don't really know how he did it, but he's become powerful in some ways…"

Masquerade handed an apple to Alice "You should eat…"

Alice eyed the apple "Where did you get this?"

He pointed to the trees in the distance "I found some apple trees there."

Alice put the apple between her teeth and bit a piece off.

"So it would be safe to assume that the Darkus Knight is after us…" Masquerade said "But why hasn't he contacted us like what he did to Ace?"

"The bigger question is: why did he help us when you were poisoned?" Alice muttered silently.

"I'm guessing it was to gain your trust and to steal your Mistletoe later on…" Ace replied

"Judging from Ace's experience," Masquerade nodded "I'd have to agree."

"So what do we do now?" asked Alice as she swallowed her apple and looked warily around her surroundings.

"As long as Masquerade can feel the Mistletoes, we have an advantage…" Ace said "We have the element of surprise."

Masquerade nodded approvingly "It would also be safe to assume that he's working with the Darkus Fool…"

"How so?" asked Ace

"Because he knew exactly where we were without even trying to communicate with us…" Alice concluded.

"Exactly." Masquerade nodded

"So we have to watch out for two possible enemies…" Ace recounted

"What about the other competitor?" asked Alice

The two boys shot her a quizzical look.

"I'm talking about the white haired one…" Alice explained "I think his name was Ren…"

"The Darkus Hermit…" Masquerade muttered "I suppose we have to find him to know whose side he is…"

"But didn't you say that you felt the other Mistletoes clumped together?" asked Ace "Doesn't that make Ren an ally of ours?"

"We can't take chances." Masquerade said "He's a hermit and would rather resort to peaceful and diplomatic ways of solving his problems…"

"Which only means two things:" muttered Alice "it could either mean that he's sided with the Knight, or he has been beaten like Ace said…"

"We'll still have to find him to be sure, huh?" Ace said

They nodded in unison.

Alice put the apple in her pocket and asked "Would you like to talk to Mira, Ace?"

Said boy immediately lost composure. The question caught him off-guard. His cheeks were visibly tinted with a hint of pink and he stuttered "Y—Yeah sure…"

Alice turned to her brother who was already smirking and gave her a nod.

She stood up and summoned her staff. She closed her eyes and concentrated, soon a mirror appeared and like before, and Julie's face appeared in the place of her reflection.

"Hey Alice!" Julie greeted cheerily.

Alice smiled and greeted back "Hello to you too, Julie…"

"So since you called, I'm guessing that Ace is awake?" Julie asked curiously.

Alice smiled and nodded "Yep. Is Mira there?"

Julie turned away from the mirror and called in a high pitched voice "Mira! Your boyfriend's awake! You can talk to him now!"

A loud protest could be heard from the other side of the mirror "HE IS _NOT_ MY BOYFRIEND!"

Masquerade stood up and effortlessly dragged Ace towards the mirror. Before Ace knew it, he was standing in front of the mirror with a nostalgic Subterra background.

"Hey!" Ace managed to voice out his protest.

"You're welcome…" Masquerade smirked as he walked back.

Alice giggled and followed after her brother, leaving Ace standing dumbfounded in front of the mirror.

"You're too soft…" Alice playfully punched her brother's arm.

Masquerade chuckled and said "He deserves to talk to her face to face…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Alice

Masquerade smirked and said "Who knows?"

"He was awake last time wasn't he?"

The masked twin kept silent.

"I knew it…"

Ace was surprised to see a very flustered Mira standing before him. It seemed that Julie had forced her to stand in front of the mirror too.

She was just as he remembered her. Her orange hair was still short, just the way she liked it. Her clothes were still the standard brown clothes of a doctor's apprentice. She too, had a slight hint of pink on her cheeks.

For a moment they were silent. It was the first time in so long since they last saw each other.

"Thank you…" Ace muttered to break the awkward silence between them.

Mira's eyes widened as she turned to meet Ace's gray eyes.

"What are you thanking me for?" asked Mira as she averted her gaze from Ace's gray ones.

Ace smiled "You healed me didn't you?"

Mira turned to him sharply and pointed an accusing finger to him "You were awake the whole time?"

Ace shrugged "Maybe…"

Mira's temper rose like hot air in a cold night "You were awake all along and you didn't even talk to me? Do you think I had a blast worrying all night long about your safety and well-being? Do you think I was happy to see your pallid face as Alice healed? Why are you so cruel to me?"

Ace was suddenly alarmed. He raised his hands in front of his chest as a gesture of surrendering "Okay, okay… I'm sorry…"

"No you are not!" shouted Mira "I hate you…" she sobbed.

Ace gaped at Mira who was now crying "Hey… hey… I'm sorry!"

Mira didn't say anything as she continued sobbing. Ace reached his hand out and touched the surface of the mirror, hoping to reach out to Mira.

How badly he wanted to comfort her. He missed her so much and the sight of her tears was enough to make him hate himself.

"I'm so sorry, Mira…" Ace muttered "I didn't mean to hurt you like this…"

Mira turned to him and asked "So you really heard everything I told Alice last night?"

Ace nodded sheepishly "Yeah…"

Mira smiled "Then that means that I don't have to repeat myself to you…"

Ace chuckled "Don't worry… I got it all memorized inside my head."

"I'm sorry Ace…" Mira muttered "I never should have pushed you out like that… I know I hurt you really bad…"

Ace smiled at her comfortingly, his hand was still pressed on the surface of the mirror "Apology accepted…"

She met his gray eyes with her blue ones. She smiled as she pressed her hand against the surface of the mirror as well.

"Right now," she stated "all I care about is your safety…"

Ace withdrew his hand and said "You don't think I got beat up by some creep without doing my homework, do you?"

Mira's eyes widened as she brought her hand to her chest "What are you taking about Ace?"

Ace smirked in reply.

Mira got the message "You've found my brother?"

Ace nodded, his face suddenly became serious "But you're not going to like what he's become…"

Mira didn't speak. Ace took that as a signal to continue.

"He's become the Darkus Knight." Ace stated, as those words were enough to summarize what had already transpired.

Mira shook her head in disbelief "I can't believe it… He was the one who hurt you?"

Ace nodded sadly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of their camp was Alice and Masquerade standing in front of a mirror with a yellow frame.

"Did you do this?" asked Masquerade

His sister shook her head. She too was surprised that the Haos mirror suddenly appeared.

"Runo?" Alice called out

A voice greeted back "Alice!"

Runo's face became clear afterwards.

"You used the Haos mirror?" asked the red head

Runo nodded "Somebody I know needs your help…"

Alice tilted her head in askance "What do you mean?"

Runo turned to Fabia and said "Princess, she's here!"

"Princess?" the twins echoed in unison.

Fabia's image came in front of them. She smiled warmly and said "I assume you are Alice, correct?"

Alice nodded uneasily.

"I am the Haos Princess and the Princess of the Neathian race, my name is Fabia Sheen, but do call me Fabia…" Fabia introduced.

Alice curtsied and matched Fabia's smile "It's a pleasure to meet you Princess Fabia."

Fabia frowned a bit and sighed "I guess it can't be helped that people address me as 'Princess'. I apologize for interrupting your test. I know that the test is crucial for the Darkus realm, but I must ask a favor from you."

Alice felt the weight of Fabia's tone and asked "What is it?"

"I am sure you know who Ren is, correct?"

Alice nodded

"He is…" Fabia paused, looking for the right word to describe Ren's worth to her "a very dear friend of mine…"

Alice nodded.

"And I am under the belief that he is in danger." Fabia said "It has made me extremely concerned, so…"

Alice cut her short and said "I'll contact you immediately once I find him."

Fabia's lips curved into a grateful smile "Thank you, Darkus Mage…"

"Call me 'Alice'." Alice corrected

Fabia chuckled "Yes, thank you Alice. I apologize for adding another burden on your shoulders."

Alice waved her hand dismissively "A friend of Runo is a friend of mine."

"Friend…" Fabia digested those words. She turned back to Alice with a serious face "Thank you…"

Alice nodded as Runo came back to view "Well, I have to go now… Lars Lion is going to pass the power of the Haos attribute to me…"

Alice nodded and smiled warmly "Do your best!"

Runo pumped her fist and said "You too."

And with that the mirror disappeared in a sparkle of yellow shades.

All of a sudden, the world spun in a rapid blur around Alice. She staggered and struggled to keep her balance, but to no avail.

The next thing she knew, she was falling towards the ground.

"ALICE!" was the last thing she heard before the world faded to black.

* * *

><p><strong>Phew!<strong>

**I'm wiped out… =D**

**Anyways, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding this chapter update… no matter how dark they may be =D**

**And also, thanks to my REVEWERS…**

**Starless Skyline, thanks so much! =D Well, liking criticisms is a part of my personality since I started writing because I rarely get them, and please don't get tired to criticize me because I really appreciate it… =D**

**Jet, hope you liked it! I mean this is for you after all… =D**

**Alana Fox thanks to you too…**

**Well I feel awkward saying all of these thank yous… =D**

**It makes me feel like this is the last chapter…**

**Don't get me wrong though, it still isn't… **

**Anyway, this note's gotten so long so, good night people!**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	10. The Mistletoe

**Yay!**

**I'm back for an update!**

**Sorry it took long… I was supposed to update yesterday, but I got so absorbed in reading Beyblade fics… =D**

**Anyway, on with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10<p>

The Mistletoe

Masquerade didn't know what to do.

His mind was completely blank.

His sister was limp in his arms.

If his younger twin wasn't involved in this situation, he would have held his composure.

But this was different.

"Alice!" he kept on calling out her name in a desperate attempt to wake her up.

Ace's head snapped to Masquerade's direction. Mira, from the other side of the mirror also got alarmed.

"What happened?" asked Mira

Masquerade was too worried to answer. He placed his palm on Alice's forehead; her temperature was fine.

_What could have happened?_

"Hey." Ace called out as gently as he could "Don't panic."

"How can I not when I don't know what's wrong with her?" Masquerade snapped.

Ace didn't say another word. He knew how much Masquerade loved his little twin sister.

"Alice…" he shook her gently and turned to Mira "Mira, what should I do?"

Mira was alarmed "I don't know! I can't give her something that will just make her wake up without knowing the reason in the first place."

Masquerade gritted his teeth. What was he to do? He felt completely helpless.

His eyes started glowing red through his glass mask. He was trying to use his bond with Alice to look for anything that may serve as a clue to her unexplained condition.

Mira gasped as the Subterra mirror started to fade.

"Ace!" she called out for probably the last time.

Ace turned to the mirror and smiled sadly "I guess this is goodbye for now, Mira…"

Mira was silent. The mirror was quickly fading. She shook her head and said "I' sorry I couldn't help Alice…

Masquerade shook his head and said "It's alright… I'll find a way to help her somehow…"

Mira didn't speak anymore.

_Alice is one heck of a girl to have such a caring brother like him…_

"Ace," she turned to Ace now "I won't ask you to bring my brother back. Judging by what happened to you, I don't think he'll be happy to see you still alive…"

Ace laughed and said "Are you kidding? I may be a mercenary, but I don't intend to go back on my promise, Mira…"

Mira's eyes widened "You idiot! If you get yourself killed in trying to get him back what would you have me do?"

Ace smiled "Then let me assure you with another promise then."

"What?"

"I promise I'll stay alive." Ace replied "And bring your brother back…"

Mira was dumbfounded. She couldn't help but smile as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She opened her mouth to say something, but the mirror already faded.

Ace turned back to Masquerade who was examining the apple she ate. He had hoped that the apple was just poisoned and that explained her behavior, but to his dismay, it wasn't.

"What could be wrong with her?" Masquerade muttered

"Calm down, panicking won't get you anywhere…" Ace said

Masquerade wanted to snap at Ace on how Alice's life was probably in danger, but he kept his temper. He knew that Ace was right.

He nodded calmly and said "I understand."

Ace looked around and said "We better get moving."

"What for?" asked Masquerade

"We have to find Ren." Ace replied "We can at least make your sister's job easier by finding Ren while she's out."

"And when we find Ren, what do you propose we do?" asked Masquerade "I'm pretty sure he's injured like you were when we found you."

Ace bit his lower lip.

_He's right. Even if we did find Ren what would we do?_

"And who said that we have to find him anyway?" Masquerade's anger was reaching its peak "Alice shouldn't be burdened with him."

"It had been our original plan to look for Ren wasn't it?" Ace asked as he desperately tried to keep his cool. Arguing with Mira taught him one very crucial thing about arguing: never lose your cool.

Masquerade didn't speak at this. He knew Ace was right. He tried calmed himself down and said "I'm sorry…"

Ace grinned and said "Don't worry. I know how much she means to you so I can understand…"

Masquerade managed a small smile and said "Thanks Ace."

"Hey what are friends for?"

Masquerade placed Alice on his back as they continue looking for Ren and avoiding Spectra at all costs.

Shadow was getting impatient. He drummed his fingers on his lap.

_How long is this guy planning to doze off?_

Spectra had instructed Shadow to stay put and then he lay on his back flat on a fallen log with the Mistletoes in his hand and dozes off.

Shadow let out a long impatient sigh. He wasn't the type who would willingly sit down and wait for someone to wake up and give him instructions.

But with Spectra it was different.

_How can he have the abilities that Knights aren't supposed to have?_

The question still lingered in the Fool's mind.

_If he wasn't so inexplicably strong, I would never obey him or wait for him to wake up…_

Two sky blue pupils appeared from the eye area of the mask. Spectra was awake.

"Finally…" Shadow sighed

"We're moving now." Spectra said "Come on."

"Hey, what's your rush?"

"Nothing." Spectra smirked inwardly "I just prefer to play the pursuer than to be pursued…"

Shadow was dumbfounded. Knowing that his mind in probably in knots now, Spectra turned to him and said "Let's go, Shadow Prove…"

Shadow shrugged and just followed Spectra like a little puppy.

Alice's eyes fluttered open and gasped sharply.

"Hey, she's awake." Ace said without turning to her.

Masquerade stopped and gently put Alice down.

"Are you alright?" the older twin asked.

"Yes…" she nodded

"You look a little shook…" the Mercenary commented as he turned to her.

Alice took a few deep breaths. She was still trying to recover from what she just found out.

"Just give me a second…" Alice said as she caught her breath.

Masquerade waited. Ace folded his arms across his chest.

Alice continued "We have to find Ren. He's been poisoned like my brother."

"Where?" asked Ace

Alice stood up and said "He isn't far from here…"

Masquerade caught his sister's wrist and asked, "Why do you know?'

Alice pursed her lips and said "I was in a trance…"

Masquerade hesitated for a moment and then he released Alice's wrist.

His sister went to trances on a regular basis, but he was never able to spell the difference between a trance and a potentially life-threatening cause of her fainting.

While on a trance, a mage is rendered defenseless as they become one with their surroundings and by doing so, they can find out what happened in the area for the past few days.

Alice looked away from her brother's hidden eyes. He knew perfectly well if she was lying and she had no intention of helping him find out.

Alice stood up and started walking. Soon they found Ren, in a very pitiable state.

His was lying on his belly. A dart was on his back. His pupils were dilated. But his sword was still on his hands.

Alice produced the flower on her left hand and the chalice on her right. Like before, she diluted the flower inside a sphere of water hovering over her palm and put it in the chalice.

She uneasily turned to her brother and said "Brother, can you help me with him?"

Masquerade nodded and turned Ren on his back. He gently pulled Ren's jaw down as Alice poured the contents of the chalice into his mouth.

Ren blinked and coughed. He sputtered out some water and cupped his throat. He was alarmed to see three people hovering over him.

"The Darkus Mercenary, Stargazer and Mage…" he muttered "Well this is a surprise…"

"Was the Darkus Knight the one who did this to you?" asked Ace

Ren nodded "Yes… But he wasn't alone. Someone with gray hair attacked me…"

"The Fool…" The twins said in unison.

"You've encountered him too?" asked the newly awakened Hermit.

Alice nodded.

"Like you I was poisoned by him too…" Masquerade said "And because of that, we were able to know the cure to your poisoning."

Ren nodded. He turned to Ace and said "So this means that we all have a common enemy, then?"

They all nodded.

"I believe I haven't introduced myself properly," Ren started as he stood up "My name is Ren Krawler, the Darkus Hermit and a loyal servant of Princess Fabia Sheen of the Neathian race."

Ace did a double take "Neathian?" he echoed "But aren't you a Gundalian?"

Ren nodded "Even I thought that it was strange."

Alice's head jerked up as she remembered what Fabia asked her, but before she could summon her staff Masquerade turned to Ren and said "We talked to Princess Fabia a few moments ago. She said something about a Haos amulet…"

Ren stared at the ground sadly "The Knight took it from me. He was a skilled fighter, but he got provoked easily. I thought I could beat him easily, but he had someone else to help him."

Alice summoned her staff and said "I promised Fabia I'd let you talk to her once we find you." She smiled knowingly "She was worried about you…"

Ren smiled fondly "I never expected that…"

Alice turned to her brother and Ace "Once Ren's conversation with Fabia is over, I can tell you something very important that I just found out." Her face fell and became more serious "It's about those Mistletoes that Master Exedra asked us to find."

Masquerade nodded knowingly, but he couldn't help but feel worried about something. He had an uneasy feeling that he just couldn't shake.

Alice planted her staff on the ground and closed her eyes. A mirror with a yellow frame laden with intricate carvings appeared with Fabia's face on it.

"Hello, Alice." Fabia greeted with enthusiasm.

Alice nodded in reply "We've found Ren."

Fabia's face brightened up.

Alice stepped aside and Ren took his place in front of the mirror. He bowed as a form of customary respect and said "Forgive me, Princess, but I have bitter news to report."

"Bitter?" Fabia echoed with sarcasm as her face turned to a genuine smile "You are alive and well and to me that itself is good news."

"Thank you, Princess," Ren smiled inwardly "But the Haos amulet was stolen from me…"

"If you are worried that without the amulet, I will not accept you anymore, you are mistaken, Ren." Fabia said

"I did not imply that, Princess…" Ren's voice trailed off and he avoided Fabia's emerald eyes "The amulet was a sign of your trust and I valued it as such."

Fabia shook her head and said "The important thing is that you're safe. You can retrieve the Haos amulet anytime as long as you're alive."

Ren wanted to ask her if what Spectra said was true. He wanted to know if he was just a plaything to the Princess he served wholeheartedly.

"I wanted to tell you something important Ren." Fabia said as she cast her eyes away, like she was embarrassed for some reason.

"What is it Princess?" asked Ren

"I… haven't been completely honest with you…" Fabia's voice trailed off "There are some dreadful things that I haven't been telling you…"

_Perhaps the Knight was right…_

"I… was planning something cruel for you." Fabia started quietly and slowly "As a Princess, I had to think of what was best for my kingdom and my people. And when you came…"

Ren didn't wait for her to finish "I understand Princess…"

Fabia turned to him with emerald eyes filled with confusion and regret.

"You wanted to use me to force my people to surrender is that it?" asked Ren

Fabia nodded "I will not deny that…"

_It hurts even more when she doesn't deny it…_

Ren turned to Alice and said "Ms. Alice, you can dismiss this mirror now."

Fabia's eyes reflected sadness. She hung her head low and muttered "I am sorry Ren…"

Alice turned to Fabia who limply nodded in reply.

"He'll come to his senses…" Alice tried to assure the melancholic Haos Princess.

"I just need his forgiveness. But I don't think that will be something easy to attain." Fabia said whilst smiling with watery eyes "Thank you for letting me talk to him…"

Alice nodded "I'll see you I guess…"

Fabia just nodded.

The mirror disappeared in a rain of yellow sparkles.

Alice turned back to the threesome who shared an awkward silence between them.

She turned to Ren and said "Well, you've introduced yourself and it would be terribly rude of me not to introduce myself too." She extended her hand and said "I am Alice, the Darkus Mage."

Ren took her hand and shook it "Thank you for saving me Alice…"

Masquerade placed his palm on the top of their joined hands and said "I'm Masquerade, her older twin brother and the Darkus Stargazer."

Ren nodded in acknowledgement.

Ace put his closed fist on Masquerade's hand and said "Ace Grit, the Darkus Mercenary."

Ren smiled and nodded again.

Together they formed a new alliance.

"Now, what was it that you wanted to tell us Alice?" Ace asked

"Indeed, it had something to do with the Mistletoes correct?" Ren recalled

The red haired girl nodded. She sat on a rock and said "Yes… I've found out something about the truth hidden within those Mistletoes."

The tension was so thick around them. Anxiety accompanied silence as Alice chose her words carefully.

"To put it simply, those Mistletoes contain the Darkus power split into five separate entities." Alice said

No one reacted. It was like the whole thing was a lot to process.

"If one can get all five Mistletoes the test will end." Alice continued "That was Master Exedra's condition. Once all five Mistletoes have been gathered by one person, he will have complete control over the Darkus attribute power."

"So that's how that Knight got so powerful all of a sudden." Ace muttered "He was using the power of the Mistletoe to make him stronger and more powerful than he was."

"But how did he find that out?" asked Ren

Masquerade stood up and said "What matters now is the safety of the other two Mistletoes in our possession. If Spectra gets his hands on the last two Mistletoes, he will have complete control over the Darkus power and that may lead to his ascension as the Darkus apprentice…"

"But Master Exedra already said that gathering the five Mistletoes won't be enough to make someone his apprentice." Ace pointed out.

Masquerade nodded "But he also didn't tell us that the Mistletoes contained the power of the Darkus attribute. That means that we were supposed to be looking for the Mistletoes and not using them."

"I don't think that Master Exedra's decision will matter to Spectra at all." Alice added

"True." Ren nodded "If Spectra were to get all five Mistletoes; he will obtain the Darkus energy attribute even without Master Exedra's permission."

"Maybe if we mimic his tactics we can put up a fight." The Mercenary suggested "After all, confronting him won't be impossible at this point…"

Masquerade nodded and turned to Alice meaningfully.

The younger twin nodded. She opened her palm and summoned the Mistletoes in a flash of white light.

As the Mistletoes rested on Alice's open palm, Masquerade's eyes, hidden behind his glass mask started to glow a bright red.

He turned away from them.

"What's wrong?" asked Ren

"Nothing…" Masquerade said as he turned back to them. His eyes were no longer glowing.

Alice's face was etched with worry, but when her brother shook his head she sighed in relief.

The Mage pressed her other palm against the Mistletoes. When she lifted her hand, the stems became entwined with one another.

Masquerade nodded approvingly, but his mind was on other matters.

_The Mistletoe… can save Alice…?_

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><p><strong>Whew!<strong>

**Sorry the update took so long!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed and I hope you like this chapter too! =D**

**Anyway, I would like to thank Starless Skyline for the criticism. I really appreciated it! =D**

**Also, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts about the fic as it is greatly appreciated! =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	11. Alice: The Final Mistletoes

**Yay!**

**Another update!**

**The title pretty much spoils what happens in the chapter for you so sorry!**

**I won't talk much so on with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 11<p>

Alice: The final Mistletoes

The allies were walking under the nighttime sky. Creating as little noise as possible, they walked through the seemingly endless purple forest.

Ren was in front since his sense of direction and reflexes were the best among the group.

Behind him stood Ace whose senses were all alert, he was ready for anything that may come.

The twins lagged behind. Alice was getting slow and Masquerade was always there to assist her.

_The Mistletoes are the keys to Alice's freedom from the dreaded Mage's curse…_

His resolve to become Master Exedra's apprentice became stronger than ever. Now that his sister's life was on the line, he could not afford to lose the one thing that can save her.

The younger twin swayed to and fro.

"Are you alright?" asked Masquerade

Alice didn't reply and merely nodded. But despite her move of affirmation, her face betrayed her answer.

Her eyes were half closed; discomfort was evident on her pained face.

She swayed to one side fully. All strength left her body.

Fortunately, her brother saw this coming and caught her before any more harm befell her.

Ace and Ren stopped walking and turned back.

"This has been happening to her quite often…" Ren stated sounding concerned.

Ace nodded.

"I'm fine…" Alice managed to say albeit somewhat breathlessly.

"No you're not," Masquerade insisted "You're exhausted."

The scolded twin tried to stand up to prove her brother wrong, but her knees always gave way and she would fall back weakly in his arms.

"Stop being so stubborn and get some rest," Ace commanded "We can still spare a few more miles and besides, Masquerade here can sense if that creep Spectra is coming."

Alice still wasn't convinced, "No," she said "We have to go…"

Masquerade sighed and swiftly tapped her nape. Once more, the younger twin fell back into his arms, but this time, unconscious.

"Well, that was convenient…" Ren smirked, impressed.

"She's too stubborn to even listen…" Masquerade sighed as he adjusted Alice to a more comfortable lying position.

"What do you suppose happened to her?" asked the Hermit

The older twin shook his head "I don't know… She may just be exhausted, but she's not using any of her abilities as a Mage…"

"Maybe she is and she's not just telling us," Ace said

Masquerade flinched at Ace's statement.

Ace just shrugged, "We don't know if she found something out while in a trance and it compelled her to use her ability as a Mage…"

Both the Stargazer and the Hermit were surprised by the Mercenary's intelligent deduction.

"What?" asked the unsuspecting gray-eyed one.

"That's the smartest thing you've ever said so far…" Masquerade said

Ren nodded in agreement.

"Are you saying that I'm dumb?" asked the offended Mercenary.

"No." The other two shook their heads in unison.

Ace seemed to be satisfied with that answer. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree and sighed.

"But what could possibly compel her to use her ability?" Ren mused out loud.

Masquerade shrugged. Another thought, more cruel than the one that Ace said, came into his mind.

"Or maybe," Masquerade said in a quiet voice "Maybe her power is already consuming her, slowly and painfully…"

Ren and Ace were silenced. They didn't know what the older twin was talking about, but they felt its unbearable weight. Not one dared to ask what the twin meant.

"Alice once told me that Mages aren't perfectly happy beings of Vestroia," Masquerade started "I didn't understand her then. When Master Exedra spoke something of a curse on her, I became worried. It was only then that Alice told me of a curse that plagues Mages like her…

"The Mage's Curse," Masquerade said with much weight in his tone. "The power of a Mage slowly consumes them as the Mage uses them to acquire knowledge.

"When I found out about it, when I found out that Alice was going to—I knew I had to do something," his voice shook "And that is to become Master Exedra's apprentice.

"Master Exedra told me that I could release my sister from her curse with the power of the Darkus attribute." He smiled bitterly "And I found out that these Mistletoes can release her from her curse too…"

Ace folded his arms and said "So now, you have all the more reason to gain the title for Master Exedra's apprentice."

Ren nodded.

Masquerade nodded "But when I think about what both of you have gone through…"

The Mercenary cut him short "Stop being such a martyr and get the cure for your sister!"

"What has happened to the loving older brother who would do anything for his little sister?" Ren asked

"Stop worrying about us and just get her cured already!"

Masquerade felt like a scolded little child. He never thought that these two people who had recently become his friends would allow him to gain the apprenticeship for his sister.

"Well, between you and that Knight," Ren stated "You are definitely a better choice…"

Masquerade smiled and said "Thank you, Ren and Ace…"

"Just make sure you cure her," Ace said "Her friends will be waiting for her."

Masquerade nodded.

"Brother…"

All three turned to the Mage who was starting to wake up.

"Are you alright Alice?" asked her brother.

Alice nodded weakly.

Ace scoffed "We don't need to be geniuses to see that you're most definitely _not_ alright, Silly girl!"

Alice chuckled "Really?"

"This isn't a laughing matter Alice." Masquerade scolded quietly "Tell us the truth, what is happening to you?"

Alice looked away from her brother's unseen and yet powerful eyes.

"Alice…" He called, softer and gentler this time.

She faced her brother this time. His eyes saw through her, even though she could not see them.

"You guessed right…" she surrendered "The power is consuming me…"

Masquerade sighed helplessly.

"Why didn't you just say so?" asked Ace angrily, "Do you know how worried your brother was? Do you know how much he is planning to sacrifice for your sake?"

The Mage bit her lower lip and felt ashamed.

"He was worried sick about you and you didn't even bother telling him!"

Ace continued to throw a fit at Alice. Ren would try to make him stop ever now and then, but the Mercenary's mouth kept on ranting.

The older twin kept silent. He didn't know what to say anymore.

"And what's worse is that you know how much he loves you and yet you still keep things from him!" shouted Ace as Ren tried to keep him back.

"I'm sorry," muttered the younger twin.

Ace cooled down. Ren let the Mercenary go. Masquerade was still silent.

"I knew that he would worry about me, and so I kept it from him," Alice explained "I didn't want him to worry so I didn't tell him, but I ended up making him feel worse."

"You should say those words to your brother, Ms. Alice…" said Ren.

Alice turned to her brother who was still silent and unresponsive. Tears glazed her eyes.

_Please stop acting like that…_

"Brother…" she called out softly

Masquerade turned to her.

"I'm…"

She was cut short when Masquerade pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her small and fragile figure.

"Don't you ever dare keep secrets from me again, Alice." Masquerade said in a gentle and menacing tone.

Alice nodded "I understand… I'm sorry…"

"As long as you stay alive, I won't get angry…" the older twin assured her.

Alice nodded.

"Oh, how touching…"

Their heads jerked upward when they heard that voice boom from all directions.

The younger twin started trembling violently.

"I have to admit, you gave me a hard time looking for you and your friends, Mage…"

"The Knight!" The Stargazer, the Mercenary and the Hermit said in unison.

Alice broke free from her brother's embrace.

"You're quite the shrewd one, aren't you Alice? Do you really think that I would not find you when the Ventus Wind is around you?"

"What is he talking about?" asked Masquerade as he turned to his younger twin.

"I placed a ward around us," explained the terror-stricken Mage "It was the power of Ventus that Shun gave me."

"Why?"

"Why?" echoed the Knight "Did your sister truly not tell you anything, Stargazer?"

Masquerade could not believe his ears.

"Where are you?" asked Ace as he brandished his sword.

The older twin turned to his younger twin and asked "What is he talking about, Alice?"

Alice cringed and said "I wasn't really in a trance… I was talking to Spectra…"

"What?"

"He told me about Ren and he told me about the Mistletoes too…" Alice replied "I'm sorry I didn't tell you…"

_More secrets? Will you ever trust me Alice?_

All of a sudden Spectra stood in front of them. Behind him was Shadow Prove.

"I never expected you to survive, Ace," Spectra said

"I won't die from a scratch, Knight!" Ace said angrily.

Spectra chuckled and turned to Ren, "So was I right about Princess Fabia?"

Ren didn't reply. He averted his eyes from the Knight who was right all along.

"You're all pathetic…" Spectra said "A Mercenary who's full of himself and even gave his word that he can't keep…"

Ace gritted his teeth.

"You thought that by becoming the apprentice you can prove everyone wrong about how they viewed Mercenaries when all you've ever done is degrading yourself even further…"

"Shut up!"

"Your temper will always be your weak spot…" Spectra smiled slyly.

He chuckled and turned to Ren "A Hermit who has been seeking refuge, but ends up losing what he thought was important to him…

"You thought that someone would finally accept you, but you ended up getting washed out again. Your contentment was nothing more than an illusion…"

Ren didn't respond.

_He was right about Princess Fabia… What more could I say to make him dissatisfied?_

Spectra turned to Masquerade "The Stargazer who sacrificed everything for the sake of his sister ends up getting betrayed by the one he's trying to save…" He laughed mockingly "Seriously, you were stupid enough to not notice what your sister was hiding! Are you really her twin? Do you really love her? I don't think so…"

"STOP IT!"

All were silenced by the voice.

"No one…" the younger twin panted "No one… No one insults my brother!"

She stood up, shakily, but she managed.

"And we come to the Mage," Spectra muttered "The one who tries everything on her own… A self-righteous one who doesn't care about the worries of everyone around her…"

"I've been selfish," Alice nodded "I won't deny that I've been selfish all this time. I thought that keeping it to me would make my brother stop from worrying about me, but I only made it worse… Even so, my brother still cares for me… And no matter what, no matter who it may be, I won't forgive anyone who insults him!"

Alice summoned her staff, her strength was back. She pointed her staff to her brother and her other two companions and a cube of soft yellow light enclosed them.

"How?" Spectra was bewildered

"Surprised?" smirked Alice "Do you really think I was reckless enough to use my abilities without thinking? I knew I was getting weak, and there was no way I could fight if you suddenly appeared… I reserved some of my strength, just in case…"

"But how long can you keep it up?" Spectra smirked

Alice smirked "As long as the other realms exist, I have a reserve."

"What?"

"My friends, Runo, Julie, Dan, Marucho and even Shun have been helping me since we started." Alice proudly and confidently said "When the time comes that my powers consume me, they will help me with the best that they can… It's an oath that we all swore on."

She twirled her staff "Fight fair, Knight."

Spectra ordered Shadow to stay back, to which Shadow complied. He drew out his sword and on the handle were the three Mistletoes he had acquired.

Alice followed his example and tied her Mistletoe and her brother's on the body of her staff.

"A fair fight it is…" Spectra nodded

Alice planted her staff on the ground. She opened her palm and a small teal tornado emerged from it. She closed her palm and threw it to Spectra.

The Knight was caught off-guard. Before he knew it, a teal tornado, the same one that Alice had on her palm, but more massive in size was headed for him.

He raised his sword and effortlessly cut through the tornado in the middle He smirked, but was sent flying when three blasts of water hit him on his ribs.

He recoiled. Two of his ribs were broken, but he could still manage.

"Impressive…" he muttered "You are well-versed in this aspect…"

From within the cube, Ace and Ren were baffled. "Your sister is strong," muttered the awestruck Mercenary.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Masquerade said proudly.

"This is not her true strength then?" inquired Ren

Masquerade nodded as he smiled "She has complete control over all six attributes. She can summon the other five while Master Hydranoid's power allows her to control the Darkus attribute."

"I can see why Spectra should want her out of his way…" Ace said "No doubt, Master Exedra will choose her as his apprentice."

Ren nodded "I agree…"

_Alice…_

Spectra tried attacking with his sword, but he couldn't get near the Mage. A shield was around her in every corner.

By this time, Alice resorted to Pyrus and Subterra attacks. She mixed the fiery furnace with the strong rocks to make a deadly combination.

_Her accuracy is superb, and her control is flawless… Does she have a weak spot?_

Spectra desperately looked for a probable weak spot as he avoided and dodged all of Alice's deadly attacks.

A molten rock met him head on; he sliced it in half with his sword. With the power of the Mistletoe, he cut the rock with ease and without damaging his sword.

But his mask got burned in the process.

He recoiled, shouting in shock and fear. He scrambled to get his mask out of his face.

Alice merely watched.

_What could have compelled him to do such bad things?_

The mask came off his face. Ace muttered, "Keith Clay…"

Ren's golden eyes widened. "Are you saying that he's Keith Clay?" asked the Hermit

Ace nodded "He's Mira's brother."

"Who is he?" asked Masquerade

"Why, I am one of the candidates for Master Apollonir's apprenticeship," replied Spectra as he rubbed his eyes "Just as that foolish Mercenary there found out, I am Mira's brother, Keith Clay."

He raised his eyes. Alice was taken aback by his sky blue eyes that resembled Mira's in many ways.

"But Master Apollonir gave his power to a weakling like Daniel Kuso…" Spectra bitterly said "He denied me of what was supposed to be mine! So I, with the help of various experiments, transported myself to the Darkus realm. I got Master Exedra's trust and became the Darkus Knight.

"I have waited for this moment all my life and now it has finally come…" Spectra said with frenzy in his voice "And I will not allow anyone to get in my way! Once I acquire the other Mistletoes in your possession I'll show them!"

The Knight's voice was suddenly synchronized with Helios' voice "I'll show them how frightening I can really be! I'll show them that the power of the Pyrus attribute should have been mine!"

Fear suddenly seized the ones within the cube, but all the more to Masquerade. His sister was all alone on the battlefield and he was unable to do anything for her.

"Alice!"

"She's in danger!" Ren shouted as Helios' silhouette appeared behind Spectra and gave him a menacing look.

"We have to get out of here!" Ace hit the walls with his sword, but to his surprise nothing happened.

"Stop!" the older twin shouted "Don't damage the cube!"

"Why?" asked Ace "Weren't we going to help her?"

"This cube depends on Alice's strength," explained her twin "Damage it and you damage her. And you know I won't let that happen…"

Ace gave up, "What will we do then?"

_I don't know… I just don't know…_

Alice took a few steps backwards as Spectra and the terrorizing silhouette behind him advanced on her.

"Scared little one?" mocked Shadow "You should be… You're dealing with the boss now…"

Spectra chuckled "What shall you do now?"

Alice planted her staff on the ground and smirked "Do you think you're to be feared?"

Her voice was in sync with three other different voices "You're nothing but trash…"

All were awestruck as a three-headed silhouette appeared behind Alice.

"Alpha… Hydranoid…" muttered her twin.

"Enough games…" Alice said "Let's see how you fare with the power of a Darkus Hydra!"

She grabbed her staff which was pulsating with a purple aura.

Spectra took out his sword as well.

He had three Mistletoes.

She had two.

Whoever loses gains all of the Mistletoes…

And whoever wins finishes the test…

Letting out an incoherent cry accompanied by a thundering roar, Spectra leapt towards the frail Mage.

Alice watched him with anticipation before she sidestepped. The sword missed her by mere inches.

In her field of view, it was like he was moving in slow motion. She reached out to get the Mistletoe tied around the jeweled hilt of his sword, but he too became faster.

He moved away from her and kept the Mistletoe away from her reach.

"Shrewd are you not?" smirked the Knight "Tell me what do you plan to do with the Mistletoes once you get them?"

Alice relaxed, but kept a defensive stance as she replied "I don't know…"

"Won't you use it to gain power?"

"No…" she shook her head "But I do know that there will be disastrous effects on Vestroia if you become the apprentice!"

She attacked him once again. This time, the Knight was pushed to the offensive.

_Just where is she getting her strength? It's not even possible!_

His sword locked with her staff. A sly smile painted the Mage's face.

"Why?" Spectra asked with exasperation "Why do you fight? You have no desire whatsoever; you have no goal, why are you striving to keep me from doing what I want?"

"Because it's wrong," the red headed Mage simply replied "All I want is to be with my brother again…"

"I can give you that," Spectra said while struggling "I can let you live with your brother forever and ever in peace, you won't have to worry about anything anymore… Just give me the Mistletoes!"

"NO!" the Mage shouted.

A radiant purple light pulsated fro Alice and sent Spectra flying to the tree behind him.

Shadow's eyes widened at the sight of the beat up Knight he saw before him.

Spectra smirked and in an instant was in front of Alice.

He brought his hand to her cheek and said "How feisty…"

"BASTARD!" shouted her twin "TAKE YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF HER!"

The Stargazer's blood was literally boiling.

Alice took steps backwards as Helios' silhouette appeared behind him again.

She fixed her eyes on him, he was unstable and therefore he was more predictable.

_This is the last…_

She sent the Knight backward with a sudden gust of wind. While he staggered, she went ahead of him and climbed the tree vertically.

She did an unbelievable flip in the air and her staff penetrated the strange miasma-like silhouette that surrounded the Knight.

With a short incoherent cry, Alice hit the crown of his head with the upper end of her staff.

"I do _not_ want to get on her nerves…" said the Mercenary while he shivered.

Ren nodded, but was still astounded.

Masquerade smiled "At least she's safe…"

The Mage fell on her knees, exhausted beyond compare.

The cube dissolved and the ones inside rushed to the tired Mage. Of course her younger twin was more concerned and therefore was by her side in an instant.

"Are you alright?" he asked

"Just tired…" replied the younger twin

"Where's that Fool?" asked Ace

Ren looked around "He left without a trace…"

"Whatever," Ace muttered "We finally got the last Mistletoes…"

Ren smiled and nodded "You fought well, Ms. Alice…"

Alice smiled back. She opened her palm to reveal a single Mistletoe on her hand.

"The test is now over!" a powerful and surreal voice exclaimed.

* * *

><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**Thanks to all the comments and criticism (courtesy of Starless Skyline) I received!**

**I never thought it would reach more than twenty REVIEWS!**

**So you know the routine…**

**See you!**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	12. Return

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**Anyway, on with it! =D**

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

Return

"The test is now over!"

All four were startled with the sudden blaring of that voice in the air. Before they knew it, they were enveloped in a bright and blinding purple light.

When the light had faded and finally disappeared, they found themselves inside Master Exedra's throne room. He was sitting on his throne like always.

"You have collected all five Mistletoes, just as I have instructed," Exedra stated "A few unfavorable circumstances took place, but you all came out victorious."

Ace scoffed, "And you call yourself a Guardian? You gave your trust too easily to that traitor Spectra."

"Ace, stop it," Ren said

Ace crossed his arms "I'm just saying that all of us got in trouble because of that Knight!"

"I admit, that was indeed a mistake of mine," Exedra nodded "However, this test also served as a means to know who is to be trusted and who isn't. And it is clear that Spectra is not worthy of anyone's trust."

He stood up from his throne and said "The only thing that is left now is the one who will gain the apprenticeship."

Masquerade reached out for his sister's hand and squeezed it.

The younger twin turned to her brother and saw him smiling. She felt assured and she smiled as well.

"As I have watched the days that went by, I saw who is worthy to become my apprentice," Exedra said.

He turned to Ace and asked "What has compelled you to work with Reaper and Hydranoid, Percival?"

Ace was taken by surprise as Exedra used the name of the power residing within them to address them and not their names. He simply replied "Because I know that what the Knight did was wrong and that Masquerade needed the Darkus attribute power more than I do," he smiled and said "Besides, I don't want to be stuck here forever. Mira's waiting for me."

Exedra chuckled; admired Ace's change. He turned to Ren and asked "What of yours, Linehalt?"

"I never did intend to acquire the Darkus attribute power," replied Ren.

"But you are grieved," Exedra pointed out.

Ren smiled sadly, "Grief, I can bear, but Masquerade needs the power of the Darkus attribute more than I do," he turned to the masked blonde and said "He is more worthy of the power you are going to give."

Exedra nodded contentedly.

He turned to the twins, whose hands were intertwined. He knew from the very beginning who the apprentice was supposed to be.

"I never doubted my judgment," Exedra said "Except for Spectra; I knew that my decisions were correct."

Exedra reached out his hand to Alice, beckoning her to give him the Mistletoe.

Alice felt her brother's grip on her hand loosen. She turned to him and he merely nodded. She let his hand go and proceeded to summon the Mistletoe that contained the Darkus power.

She walked towards Exedra and stopped only a step away from him.

"What of you, Hydranoid?" asked Exedra "Why did you not want the power for yourself?"

The red head smiled and said "Because I do not want it. It's that simple."

Exedra nodded, "A true Mage indeed."

"How did the Knight know that the Mistletoes contained the power of the Darkus attribute split into five separate entities?" asked Alice

Exedra was silent for a moment, but he spoke soon enough, "It was a knowledge he gained from the time he became obsessed with the power of the Darkus attribute. He harnessed it to make it his own before I can even name him as my apprentice. I am indebted to all of you. Your efforts have assured the safety of the Darkus attribute."

As Exedra reached out for the Mistletoe that floated on Alice's hand, the ground shook violently. The tremors brought the beams down; it cracked the walls and separated Alice from her brother.

"What's happening?" shouted Masquerade hoping that Master Exedra would at least hear him.

His eyes swept through the entire area. The smoke clouded his view; his little sister's safety was a mystery to him.

"Alice!"

"Brother…" came a soft, feeble and somewhat terrified reply.

The smoke cleared and it revealed three shocking things.

First was Exedra himself. He was on the ground, pinned by a sharp rock that fell from above and his garments seemed to be hollow and empty.

Second was a red blade with a jeweled hilt positioned by Alice's throat.

The third was the very person who held the blade, the Darkus Knight, Spectra Phantom.

Behind Spectra was the ominous silhouette of Helios. His fringe covered his hair and only his lips, which were curved into a smile, were visible of his face.

"That creep's still alive?" Ace exclaimed as he gestured to grab his sword from behind.

"Oh no, you don't," said Spectra as his voice resonated with Helios' "Make a move and this little girl here, dies."

Masquerade clenched his fists, "Let her go."

Spectra laughed; threw his head back in the process. When he turned back to them, they were all taken aback.

He had the expression of someone deranged. It was like he was out of his mind. Helios fueled him with strength and he was taken over accordingly.

"Or what Masquerade?" mocked Spectra "If I don't let her go, what will you do?" he tightened his grip on Alice.

"How could you have survived?" Ren asked in a small voice.

Spectra scoffed "It's quite simple, Linehalt, Princess Fabia's puppet,"

Ren growled when he heard the last three words of Spectra's first phrase.

Seeing Ren's aggression, Spectra smiled and continued "I used the Darkus Fool's life force to replenish mine. Did you know that Hades had such a delicious life force? Before I knew it, he was drained to his bones…"

"You killed the Darkus Fool?" Masquerade concluded

Spectra nodded "Helios' abilities are so remarkable, not only did they help me gain my strength back; they also helped me come back here and kill the pathetic Darkus Guardian!"

He dipped his head down to Alice's hair on her neck and sniffed and exhaled, "Her life force smells good…"

"LET HER GO, YOU BASTARD!" shouted the older twin.

The masked blonde ran towards Spectra as his rage boiled within him like lava.

"Stop, Masquerade!" Ace shouted

But he was too late, Spectra smirked and he lifted his free left hand (his right hand held the sword positioned by Alice's throat).

A blinding light filled the room. The next thing Masquerade heard were the agonizing screams of his sister.

His vision cleared and was horrified, by ears and by eyes, with what he saw.

Alice was trapped inside a sphere that pulsated with red light. The red sphere hovered above Spectra who was smiling smugly and in a deranged manner.

No longer able to hold his anger, he lunged towards Spectra and tried to attack him, but Helios' silhouette behind the deranged blonde attacked Masquerade.

Masquerade was sent flying towards the wall. He groaned in pain as he felt his ribs fractured.

Ace and Ren were out of commission. It seems that they too, were being drained of their life forces.

"Perhaps you're wondering why you're not being drained no?" asked Spectra, "The answer is quite simple; I want you to see how the people who are important to you, slip away slowly and painfully."

Masquerade tried to recoil, but the pain in his ribs was too severe.

_No…_

_No…_

_NO!_

Unable to stand, he crawled back to where he was. Alice screams pierced his ears and brought him to the verge of insanity. The sight of Ace and Ren immobile and seemingly lifeless made him feel weak and hopeless.

The sight of Spectra slowly draining the life out of those he love made him want to scream at the top of his lungs.

_Agony…_

_Hate…_

_Pain…_

_Solitude…_

_Sadness…_

_Emptiness…_

He raised his eyes to Spectra who was now surrounded by an aura of three different shades and hues of purple.

He assumed that it belonged to the three he loved the most.

"Stop…" Masquerade begged "Someone make him stop…"

He continued crawling, but he felt as if he hasn't moved from the spot where he was. He was in pain, in deep pain, he drowned, he suffocated, he struggled against the sadness and pain he felt as he saw what will become of those that he love.

"Stop…!"

His strength failed him and little by little his vision blurred and dimmed. He clutched his ribs, the place where it was fractured. His face fell fully on the floor, immobilized.

Alice gritted her teeth in frustration and in the midst of her pain-etched scream.

_Ace…_

_Ren…_

A tear rolled down her cheek.

_Brother…_

She felt weaker and weaker by the second. Her breath got short and throaty. Her heart beat like mad and she couldn't stop it. Her chest hurts; felt constricted. It felt as if her entire body was getting electrocuted.

_I have to save them!_

With sheer determination and desperation, she summoned every bit of her strength to summon the Pyrus dart that Dan gave her a few days after his apprenticeship training started.

"_You might need it…" _said the brunette.

Those words echoed within Alice's head. She managed a small smile.

_You're right Dan… I do need it somehow…_

Lifting her immobilized hand that held the dart, Alice kept her focus on Spectra. She didn't need to hit him; she only needed to distract him from what he was doing.

She needed to distract him for long so she could free Ren and Ace. She knew her brother was fine, but he was grievously injured.

Taking careful aim, she threw the dart towards Spectra who was unsuspecting.

Like she had hoped, Spectra got distracted; long enough for him to lose his grasp on the Mercenary and the Hermit. He turned to Alice who was struck by both terror and pain that jolted through her body in infrequent intervals.

His sky blue eyes took her by surprise. Just like the time she first saw them wholly. She saw someone fearsome.

* * *

><p>Alice opened her eyes to find herself sitting on a high-backed chair with a red cushion. Her hands were planted firmly on the golden armrests of the chair on both sides.<p>

She was wearing a white dress. A silver necklace with lilac gems adorned her pale neck and white gloves that reached to her elbows covered her dainty hands.

In front of her was a long wooden table. Numerous candelabras of different shapes and sized filled the table in an organized pattern. A luxurious crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling that was only a few feet from the floor itself.

On the other side of the table was another high-backed chair, similar to the one she was sitting on, that faced her. No one sat on it, but it felt oddly familiar.

She looked around. She still had control over her body, she could still feel the sensation of her palms touching the intricate designs of the golden armrests, but she was paralyzed.

The entire area felt unfamiliar. As far as she could say, the room seemed oddly like a dinning area. The huge windows did not bring in any light, the world outside was clouded in darkness.

_What am I doing here?_

_The last thing I remember was being with my Brother and Ace…_

A door, or rather a dark void in the shape of a door, appeared from behind the other chair.

She didn't need to know who was there.

"Well, well…" said the person who came from the dark void "It seems that my efforts were fruitful…"

"Darkus Knight…"

"Why are you so cold, little Mage?" asked Spectra who came out fully from the dark void. He wore the same clothes Alice always saw him in.

"How did you do this?" asked the half-bewildered and half-angry Mage.

"Before I answer your question, I would like you to know that your current location is not far off to where Ren is," said the Knight nonchalantly as he sat down "You would do well to attend to him. He is poisoned like your brother was…"

Alice didn't utter a word. She studied the movements, the mannerisms and the words that he used.

"No need to be so tensed," Spectra chuckled "I am not here to attack you mentally…"

"Then why did you bring me here?" asked the Mage "And why did you give me the cure to the Fool's poison?"

Spectra's lips were curved in a smirk. He raised his hand and brought it to the sides of his mask. He removed it and revealed his sky blue eyes.

"Keith Clay…" Alice muttered "You're Mira's brother aren't you?"

Spectra smirked "How clever…"

"Ace told me about it."

"That Mercenary is too full of himself," Spectra said "He thinks he can bring me back to the Pyrus realm? Not a chance…"

"You still haven't answered any of my questions," Alice said impatiently "And how is it that you control me here?"

Spectra chuckled, "I suppose I should answer your questions while I can still count them with one hand."

He rested his elbows on the wooden table. He locked eyes with Alice and burned her with the intensity of his gaze, "For one thing, little one, I am not controlling you in this realm… This is merely your psyche and I have penetrated. Rather than controlling, I am restricting you."

"What do you mean?" asked the confused Mage "This is my mind? Then how come I don't remember conjuring this place?"

"Because I made you conjure it," Spectra replied with a smirk "I tried to infiltrate your mind through the use of the Mistletoes and as a defense mechanism of a Mage such as yourself, you created a subconscious realm where you could flee from the gate crasher.

"Unfortunately, I planned this all along. So here I am speaking with you and restraining your movements through the Mistletoe. I cannot allow you to use your power as a Mage within your mind, for that might yield undesirable effects…"

Alice calmed a little, but she still did not trust Spectra.

"Come now, don't glare at me like that…" Spectra said in a soft voice.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't." Alice snapped.

Spectra smirked, "Feisty… Just like I hoped you are…"

The Knight cleared his throat and said "Your subconscious mind is so quiet; it's an ideal place for a chat."

"That's why you brought me here?" asked the Mage

He nodded and said "Of course… I cannot speak to you freely and clearly when your older twin and that arrogant Mercenary is around. They'll strike me before I even get a word done…"

Alice looked away from his gaze and said, "Because they know that you cannot be trusted…"

Spectra nodded "Perhaps… I am very selfish…"

Silence filled the hollow hall. For her, the fact that she was inside her mind made her relaxed. It was like a trance, except for the fact that she didn't become one with her surroundings, she secluded herself from it.

"I was one of those who were chosen to become Master Apollonir's apprentice," Spectra continued as he fumbled with his fingers "But I was not given the privilege to become what it was I wanted to be.

"I was furious and jealous that someone like Daniel Kuso got what it was I wanted the most."

"It takes more than strength to become an apprentice, Knight," Alice stated.

Spectra chuckled and said "So I've heard… I went to the Darkus realm to win the Darkus attribute instead. I did an extensive study regarding the power of the attributes and as I studied, I saw that it was possible for only one body, one person to possess all six attributes in Vestroia."

"And so you started with our realm?" inquired Alice

Spectra nodded in reply, "It was the most logical move. With all the other realms occupied with training their apprentices, and the Pyrus realm getting the preparations ready, the Darkus realm was the only place I could go to."

"Do you have any idea what you're trying to do?" the Mage asked incredulously

"I don't expect you to understand, little one…" Spectra said, "I infiltrated your mind to tell you what I want to tell you."

Spectra paused to breathe, "You are a hindrance, Alice."

_Why am I not surprised?_

"Everything about you is a hindrance to my plans…" he continued "Your existence as a Mage is the greatest thing that threatens my goals, along with your affiliation with Hydranoid, who happens to be one of Master Exedra's kin. I don't want to harm you in any way, but you are simply a hindrance."

"So why not just finish me here and now?" asked Alice challengingly

Spectra didn't reply. His blue eyes glinted knowingly.

"You had another question if I'm not mistaken," Spectra said "You asked as to how I was able to do this, didn't you?"

Alice nodded.

"Of course, you are aware that the likes of me cannot normally infiltrate someone's mind," Spectra said "For I am not gifted with these arts like you and the Fool."

"Get to the point," demanded the Mage coldly.

Spectra seemed amused with her reaction. He nodded and said "Fine… I understand… The Mistletoes, Master Exedra said that the once one of the five of us gather all five of them, the test will end, no?"

Spectra opened his palm and revealed the three Mistletoes in his possession that shared one stem. He raised it to Alice's eye level and said "This seemingly insignificant Mistletoe is actually a fragment of the Darkus attribute power."

Alice's eyes widened.

"Master Exedra didn't say anything because he knows that this knowledge will prove to be dangerous," Spectra said "Especially for the likes of us…"

"How did you find out?" asked the Mage as she tried to sound brave.

"I have ways and means, little one…" Spectra replied. He stood up and started to walk off.

This time, Alice was in full control of her body. She stood up and shouted after him "Wait! Why did you help me when my brother was poisoned?"

Spectra half-turned to her and smirked "That shall remain as a mystery, little one…"

* * *

><p>Alice no longer had the strength to keep her consciousness afloat. She smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek.<p>

She was weak, weaker than she had ever been.

Her life was slowly slipping away, and she could not even hear what was happening in her surroundings.

When her screams ended, Masquerade fell onto his knees. Ace and Ren, who have both recovered looked away, they knew all too well what has happened.

Spectra released Alice with a low grunt. He had drained all of her life force and her abilities as a Mage.

Alice started falling to the ground at high speeds.

Ignoring the insane pain that pulsed all throughout his system, Masquerade ran towards his younger twin.

He caught her in his arms. He caressed her cheek, it was cold and pale. He grasped her hand, it was unresponsive. A smile was on her face, but it a tear was visible on her eyelid.

His hands trembled. His eyes absorbed the image of his beloved sister, pale and dead in his arms.

Time stopped, it was like time itself allowed him to mourn over his loss.

His heart broke into a million pieces. He had lost the one person he was protecting the most.

"Alice…" he muttered softly as he ran his fingers through her orange tresses.

His fingers trembled. He was on the verge of insanity.

"ALICE!"

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><p><strong>Okay, I know the update took too long, so I apologize…<strong>

**Anyway, please don't hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the fic as it is very much appreciated… =D**

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**chquine_harvinellisse**


	13. Twins

**Hey guys!**

**Whew! Finally an update! =D**

**But it will be a flashback for now… =D**

**And to prevent me from spoiling any more details, ON WITH IT!**

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Twins

He came out first.

A healthy baby boy with blonde hair like his Mother came out first. He was strong and of that there was no doubt.

But the woman bore twins, a phenomenon that wasn't often seen in their world.

She came out after him.

A beautiful baby boy with foreign orange hair came out after. She seemed to emanate a strong aura. She was someone different.

The family lived in harmony. They made a home out of the old abandoned tower in the secluded parts of their realm. The Father was a Stargazer; the Mother was a Mage in hiding. The son showed promise; the daughter was special.

Most of the times, the parents were working in the cities and towns. The twins were left inside their little tower.

"Wow, brother…" the younger twin breathlessly said as her brother effortlessly and precisely cut the apple on her head in half, "You didn't even get close to my hair…"

The older twin smirked cockily; his amethyst eyes glistened with pride, "Of course! There's no stroke of the sword I can't perfect…"

She clapped in glee. She took the half of the apple on her head and handed it to her brother.

He caught it with accuracy.

"When I grow up, I want to be a Knight!" the older twin proudly said, "A Knight who knows how to read the stars, like Father…"

The younger twin nodded and said, "And I'll be a Mage!"

The older twin nodded, "And whoever tries to hurt my little Alice will be struck down!"

The younger twin, Alice giggled gleefully.

She tied her hands behind her back and said, "Close your eyes…"

Her older twin seemed reluctant, but he closed his eyes anyway.

She walked towards him and placed a circle of flowers on his head. She knelt on one knee and said, "I think being a King would suit you more, brother…"

The older twin did a dignified pose and said, "That has a nice ring to it Alice. King Masquerade…"

Alice giggled as Masquerade took out his sword and impressed her with his swordplay.

They spent the entire day with one another. By sunset, their parents would return to their home and they would eat dinner all together.

"…That can't be…!"

Masquerade shifted.

"…I'm sorry, I didn't know!"

He opened his left eye.

_Mom?_

"… If I had known, I would never let her inherit being a Mage…"

"Does she have it too…?"

A sob came out, "…Yes…"

Masquerade was confused.

_Who are they talking about?_

_Why is Mom crying?_

_What's going on?_

His innocent mind knew nothing of what he and his sister might face in the future.

"ALICE?"

Masquerade was startled by his Father's shaking voice. Something felt wrong. The scent of roses and strawberries that was supposed to be beside him was gone.

The scent of roses and strawberries came from no other than his younger twin, Alice. He stood up immediately. She was really gone.

He saw his Father searching frantically for her.

"Father…?" he called weakly.

His Father turned to him and said, "Stay here, understand? I'll look for Alice and your Mother."

Masquerade simply nodded as he rubbed his eyes. His Father left and before he knew it, he was alone; completely alone.

The silence was deafening to the likes of him who got used to his sister's presence. He missed her. He missed his little sister. He missed his playmate. He missed the only one who stayed with him when he was supposed to be all alone.

_Alice, where are you?_

He stared at his sword. It lay flat on the grass, motionless and still. He only used it for his and Alice's entertainment.

Without her around, it was just a blade with a sheath and a hilt. It was merely a weapon used by grown-ups.

To take lives away was its only use in his eyes, when she wasn't with him.

He looked up to the sky, hoping that the stars would save him from his solitude.

But to his dismay, the only star visible was the blinding sun.

He turned his amethyst eyes away and curled up in a ball.

_What to do? What to do? What to do?_

He closed his eyes and thought of the things that he could do with his sister if and when she comes back.

_I could teach her how to use a sword…_

_After all, many people would try to hurt her because of her pretty hair and her skills as a Mage…_

_But she won't need to because I will always be here for her; I won't let anyone hurt her._

He turned back to the azure sky. How long has it been since his Father went out to look for Alice? He was bored and tired of being bored.

He picked up his sword and took out the blade. He threw it towards the apple tree that grew in their home.

The end of the blade dug into the bark of the tree. The tree rattled and vibrated slightly. The sudden movement caused the branches to sway to and fro. An apple landed on the hilt of the sword.

From his mind's ear, he could hear Alice clapping in astonishment. Every little thing he did never ceased to amaze her.

He loved making her happy.

He loved making her smile.

He loved making her laugh.

He loved making her eyes twinkle in delight.

He loved doing all those things because whenever she was happy, he was happy too. Whenever she smiled, he smiled too. Whenever she laughed, he laughed too.

He knew that it might be because they were twins and their connection with one another was very strong for anyone to comprehend, but it was still a good thing to know that you felt whatever the other one felt.

A few hours later, his Mother came frantically in. Her clothes were dirty and soiled and sweat beaded her brows. Her breath came in short and heavy ones.

"Mother?" he called out.

She raised her eyes and met his. She grasped him by the shoulder and asked, "Have you seen Alice?"

Masquerade shook his head, "No Mother…"

She groaned incoherently as she fell on the grass. She ran her fingers through her hair as tears started to fall from her eyes.

Masquerade knelt in front of her and asked, "Mother, where is Alice?"

At the sound of her name, his Mother wept. She wrapped her arms around him and cried.

"…Gone…" was all that he could make out of her words as they were too broken by her sobs.

His eyes widened.

_Gone…?_

_Alice is… gone…?_

He couldn't understand and comprehend the meaning of those words.

_Is Alice gone for a while?_

_Will I ever see her again?_

He hoped that his Father had better news to share to them, but sunset came and they still couldn't find his little Alice.

_Alice… Where are you?_

He gazed at the stars that night and looked for his sister's star. He couldn't miss it even if his eyes were closed. It was the star that had a faint purple glow.

But this time was different. The star wasn't there. All that adorned the sky were the pale white stars and her star could not be seen.

He sighed in disappointment as he tried to keep himself from crying.

But he heard his Mother, sobbing and weeping.

And that did it for him…

.

.

A tear fell from his eyes.

_Roses…_

_Strawberries…_

The scent was too painfully familiar and comforting. It reminded him of his little sister who had gone missing since yesterday.

If only that dream would become reality, he would be happy.

He opened one of his amethyst eyes. The sun had already risen and that meant that his parents were already in town, working…

Or looking for Alice…

He saw a mass of orange tresses and pale skin that belonged to someone he loved ever so dearly.

He sat up and rubbed the sleep off his eyes.

He would shout at the top of his lungs with what he saw. He rubbed his eyes again, once, twice and three times. After the third time, he knew he wasn't dreaming.

"ALICE!" he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her and brought her to a tight embrace.

Alice drowsily opened her eyes as she felt her brother's arms around her.

"H-huh?"

"Don't ever do that again, understand?" he reprimanded

Alice was confused, "Don't ever do what again, brother?"

He didn't reply. He couldn't reply. He was simply overwhelmed by the fact that his sister was safe and sound and back by his side.

Alice was dumbfounded, and although she didn't understand half of what was happening, she just lingered in her brother's embrace.

The day went by like Alice didn't disappear a day prior. Like always, he amazed her with his skills with a sword. And her smile caused his as well.

By the end of the day, their weary parents came back. All were overjoyed by Alice's return.

"Return? But where did I go?" asked Alice

Their Father looked at their Mother meaningfully. She sighed and said, "Don't mind us… You go get some rest now. Tomorrow you and your brother will have to attend training sessions."

It was customary in Vestroia to send children to training sessions that will determine their roles in their realms. It was like a school, only more specific and harsher.

"What will you train for brother?" asked Alice as they sat on the grass and waited for their parents to pick them up.

"I want to be a Knight of course!" Masquerade exclaimed

Alice giggled and said, "I'm sure you'll be the best Knight there ever was."

Their Father arrived and they rushed to him. He petted their heads and said, "Alice, you wait here for Mom okay? Masquerade and I have to go…"

It was like the whole world stopped. Masquerade was led off by his Father as Alice waited for their Mother.

They were separated. Like yesterday, they were separated.

And it made him sad.

He excelled both in stargazing and swords play, but he felt hollow and incomplete. Even when his fellow-trainees and his teachers commended him for his excellent displays, he didn't pay attention to them.

They were nothing like Alice.

"Well, of course…" His Father said as he petted Masquerade's head while they walked home, "They are not Alice so they can't be anything like Alice…"

_They're not Alice… So they can't be like Alice…_

_Then people who are not Alice…_

_Don't mean anything to me…_

Alice sighed as she stared at the empty path that led to their home. The sun was setting and still no sight of her brother who was dubbed as 'The Prodigy'.

Years had passed since the first time they separated and Masquerade made a name for himself.

Her Mother chuckled as Alice waited by the window, "He'll be here soon, don't worry Alice…"

"But it's already sunset…" Alice whined

"Be patient… Your brother has other things to take care of you know…" her Mother said, "Besides you know that you're not allowed to train with the other kids…"

Alice nodded knowingly.

She was a Mage. And a Mage was treated with discrimination.

Mages were rarities and people view them differently. Some view them with respect, others with scorn, and still others think that they are bringers of misfortune.

To protect her from a variety of reactions, Alice was kept inside their tower. She was taught personally by their Mother.

She learned a lot of useful things that a Mage can do. She never thought that she was capable of doing such things.

But despite her thrilling discovery, she was still disappointed because she had to be far from her brother.

She caught sight of her brother's blonde hair and suddenly felt thrilled.

"Brother!" she went outside and met up with him.

As always, their Father stood beside Masquerade. He picked him up after work when his session is done.

Masquerade petted her head, "Did you miss me?"

Before she could reply, their Father commanded in a stern tone, "Get inside, both of you."

Taken aback by their Father's unexplained change of behavior, the twins simply obeyed.

Their Father marched straight into the house; he approached their Mother and began talking with her.

"What happened with Father?" asked Alice

Masquerade shrugged, "I don't know. He was silent the entire time we walked…"

"Do you think something happened?"

"Maybe…"

"Do you want to see the new trick I've learned?" Masquerade changed the topic with a hint of pride in his amethyst eyes.

Alice nodded eagerly.

He unsheathed his sword and was about to show her his sword play when they heard a loud cry from their Mother.

"Why?" she wailed as tears cascaded down her face.

"There's nothing we can do, but escape…" their Father said

He called his two children and after explaining the situation to them, he bade them to pack their things and prepare for their departure.

Someone had falsely spread rumors about their family. Their Mother's involvement as a Mage was the main reason of the rumor. They said her children were created out of a spell and thus their abilities were enhanced greatly.

Another reason was their choice of habitat. They lived at the most secluded parts of the Darkus realm and it made people to suspect that they were planning something gruesome and unimaginable to disturb the peace.

Lastly was Alice herself. They said that she would naturally be a Mage as well since her Mother was also a Mage.

Armed with weapons, the townsfolk tried to subjugate the parents and let the twins live a wretched life, but when they got to the tower, the family was no longer there.

The family was climbing up the hill. There, the Mother would use her power to transport their family to a safer place.

"This is as far as I can go…" Their Mother said breathlessly "I'll transport you to another realm… Leave me here…"

Masquerade felt like he was punched in the stomach.

"WHY?" their Father exploded.

"I don't have the strength to transport all four of us to another realm… But I have strength for at least three…" she smiled weakly, "There won't be anything left for me in any other realms anyway…"

Their Father wanted to argue, but he just nodded and said, "Then transport the two of them…"

The Mother's eyes widened, "What are you saying?"

"If you die, then I'll die with you…"

"Why…?"

"I can't let you shoulder all of the sacrifices…" the Father said with a small smile.

As they said their farewells, the Mother prepared to transport her twins to another realm.

But before they could put their plan into action, their Mother was suddenly pierced by an axe on her back. She fell back and tumbled to the foot of the hill.

"They're here…" their Father muttered in rapture.

The townsfolk stopped when they saw the Mage's body on the foot of the hill. She was already dead, but they weren't satisfied. They burned her body and climbed up when they saw the rest of her family on top of the hill.

"What are we going to do?" asked Alice as she trembled in fear

Their Father clenched his fist and pushed the twins down the hill. Masquerade grabbed Alice and kept her close. He didn't want her to hear their Father's screams or the sight of his blood.

They fell on the hard ground, stunned but they needed to move before they're found.

Masquerade and Alice collected themselves and began running. He could hear some footsteps following them.

_No… No… This can't happen… I can't let Alice die…_

They continued running; the darkness around them was endless. The angry townsfolk caught up with them eventually.

They separated the twins and grabbed Alice harshly. They hit her harshly and handled her roughly.

"Alice!" called the older twin in vain as they threw her onto the ground.

_No…_

_Why?_

_Why is this happening?_

_What have we done to deserve this?_

_Why are they hurting Alice?_

And like he was kicked in his side, he came to his senses. They were hurting them. They were hurting _her_ of all people!

"Let her go…" he muttered

They didn't stop.

"Let her go…" he repeated, but this time, with more venom in his voice.

He was angry.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME? LET ALICE GO!"

They all turned to him with a confused expression. Even Alice was surprised. Something was different about her brother. Something was very wrong.

One walked towards him and raised his fist to punch the defenseless older twin. But before his fist got anywhere close to the older twin's face, a scream of horror filled the air.

Even Alice was stunned to see the man's head roll on the grass and his headless body fall before their eyes.

A massive slaughter followed. He killed them all… no… that silhouette behind him killed them all.

The last man came close to stabbing the older twin's heart, but he slipped and managed to only slash the older twin's left eye.

He pressed his palm against his left eye. It hurt and bled. He looked at the blood on his palm with his able right eye.

He glanced around his surroundings. There were dead bodies everywhere, and he knew all too well who had caused their deaths.

He turned to the last man alive; he was cowering by his feet. If he let this man live, there would be no future for him and Alice.

But if he killed this man, that would prove him to be a monster in his own right.

_I don't want to kill him…_

_I don't want to kill him…_

But the silhouette moved without his permission. It killed the man with one swipe of its fearsome scythe and disappeared into thin air.

His knees gave way and he fell on the grass, shaking.

Alice crawled to her brother's side. She touched his face. Yes, she was horrified with what she saw, but she knew that her brother was nothing like what she had seen.

"Alice…" he muttered "I'm a monster…"

She shushed him, "No you're not…"

"But I…"

"Don't say anything more…" Alice said as she bowed her head.

The younger twin mustered her strength and healed her brother's left eye.

"You have beautiful eyes, brother…" Alice managed a smile, "I can't let them go to waste…"

He chuckled dryly. She was trying to make him feel better; the least he could do was show her that he appreciated it despite the fact that he was still horrified with what he did.

He didn't run away from his crime; he faced it courageously, but she was determined to stay by his side.

"I have no one else if I lose you, brother…" Alice said, "I'm not going to leave you…"

He tried to argue, but she was firm with her decision.

He sighed and patted her head, "Stubborn aren't you?"

Alice just smiled.

At that time, Exedra was still an apprentice and the one who became the temporary Guardian was Darkus Skylord.

"You're just kids…" Skylord sighed, "You know how I hate long discussions… But the people are looking for a punishment…"

Masquerade and Alice didn't speak as they stood side by side. They were ready to accept whatever punishment they would be given.

"And also…" Skylord continued, "What happened to you is a normal phenomenon for people with a strong inheritance…" she sighed again, "So there's really no point in punishing any of you…"

"But…" Masquerade interjected, "I still killed them… I should be punished somehow…"

Skylord stared at Masquerade with admiration. She smiled and said, "You're not escaping punishment, you're accepting it like it's a general truth… You brand yourself as a criminal though you were just protecting what was important to you…" she walked towards them and said, "I have the proper punishment for the likes of you…"

She stretched out her wings and said, "Anger is your greatest downfall… Once you give in to it, it will consume you and you'll be a tool for carnage…" she smiled again as a blinding light enveloped them.

"You will forget…" she said, "You will forget all of these painful memories. All you will remember is your happy and pleasant memories. You will continue as you are and will have no recollection of all of these unless anger gets its grip on you…"

A mask materialized in front of Skylord. It was a glass-like mask and was designed to hide the eyes and the cheeks.

"As long as this mask stays intact," Skylord said "You will have no recollection of what happened here. This will keep Reaper locked inside; this will help you resist anger. You will disdain violence…" she smiled at him and continued, "All will be fine…"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry! I got a little lazy…<strong>

**I just retyped this and reposted it so that the other questions would be answered.**

**Jet! I am so (1000x) sorry for using Skylord without permission...**

**I couldn't come up with a name for the temporary Guardian when Skylord's name popped in my mind…**

**So I'm really sorry…**

**To the other readers, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the fic as it is greatly appreciated…**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	14. Anger and memories

**Update!**

**Sorry it took so long…**

**And sorry it's not that long… =D**

**We'll be going back to reality now… =D**

**So on with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 14<p>

Anger and the memories

A loud, spine-tingling shout echoed inside Exedra's throne room. It came from the older twin who held his beloved younger sister's dead body in his arms.

His mind was throbbing with a familiar and yet seemingly forgotten sensation. Small thread of his ripped memories of his past came together and wove what his life was before.

His heart shattered into a million pieces, like glass thrown into the unknown. As the threads wove themselves together, he realized that the reality he lived in was merely an illusion to hide his painful past.

A dark silhouette slowly formed behind him. It was the silhouette of the Bakugan that controlled him once before and turned him into a monster.

"Reaper…" Masquerade muttered, "I need your power…"

"Reaper?" echoed the Knight who stood in front of the fallen Guardian's throne.

"This sounds bad…" Ren muttered

"What?" Ace turned to the Hermit in askance.

"I should have paid attention when Master Exedra said that he had inherited Reaper's power…" explained Ren, "I thought it did sound familiar, but I never recalled who or what it really was…"

"Stop keeping me hanging and get to the point already!" Ace half-shouted

"Reaper is one of the strongest and rarest of all Darkus Bakugans. You can put him on the same league as Master Exedra and Hydranoid. But that's not all…" he paused, "It is said that Reaper can also bring out the worst in a person…"

"Meaning Masquerade can unleash hell on Spectra because of Reaper…" Ace concluded

"Yes…"

Helios' voice was now stronger than Spectra as they resonated, "So you've finally chosen to reveal that second-rate Bakugan…"

Masquerade gently placed Alice back on the ground and walked towards Spectra as the silhouette behind him became clearer and larger. "Ace, Ren," he called to the ones behind him, "Take care of Alice for me…"

The Mercenary and the Hermit wasted no time in taking the Mage's dead body and hiding behind a still sturdy pillar.

"She really is dead…" Ren muttered

"This won't be pretty for Spectra…" said Ace, "I bet Masquerade's pissed off right now…"

The glass mask on the Stargazer's face started to crack. The sharp bottom part of the mask was the first one to go. It started to chip off and dissolve into multi-colored dust.

"You sure have some guts to call Reaper second-rate," muttered Masquerade "When you're just a delinquent from the Pyrus realm…"

"What?" Helios and Spectra voiced out, "How dare you…!"

"I dare everything…" Masquerade smirked as the glass that covered his cheeks started to fall out piece by piece.

As the glass-like remnants of his mask started to disappear, his memories were then intact: past and present. A portion of him felt relieved that he forgot those memories, but the larger portion harbored regret.

Along with his memories were the emotions that he felt, showed and released. One in particular was prominent and utterly striking: anger.

"This mask was given to me to keep me from doing a disaster that you'll soon be experiencing," Masquerade's voice started to resonate with Reaper's as his silhouette became whole, "Darkus Knight, Spectra Phantom…"

"We'll see!" Spectra exclaimed

The final pieces fell off and his face was finally revealed.

His amethyst eyes were still distinct, but they had become wan. A scar ran from his left brow to his cheekbone and it came through his left eye, though Alice healed his left eye, the scar was still there.

"Do you expect me to be intimidated by you?" asked the deranged Knight.

Masquerade grinned smugly and mocked, "Intimidated? No… I expect you to tremble in fear like a child without his mother…"

Spectra became agitated, "I'll show you!"

Helios raised his hands and from it two golden orbs came out.

"Taste the fury of the Haos power!"

Masquerade continued walking. His shoulders got hit by the orbs and it made him stop for a second, but afterwards, he continued walking like nothing ever happened to him.

This didn't go unnoticed by the Knight and the silhouette of the Bakugan behind him.

"What—what was that?" asked the confused and suddenly shook Knight, "He wasn't affected by it at all?"

"Why would I be affected by it?" asked Masquerade as he hung his head low and concealed his eyes.

"That power came from your younger sister. How is it that you're unfazed!" Spectra asked

Masquerade didn't reply. He continued walking towards the throne as Spectra backed with fear.

Helios' resolve was stronger than Spectra's; he continued attacking Masquerade with the other five attributes.

Haos was followed with Subterra. Helios threw a boulder towards Masquerade. The chunk of rock made contact, but it didn't crush Masquerade like it should have.

The Stargazer continued walking towards Spectra who was, by now, consumed with fear and frightened to his bones.

After Subterra came Aquos. Helios attacked with sharp water blades that could easily decapitate a person.

But like before, Masquerade was unaffected.

Then came Ventus. He attempted to blow Masquerade away, but the Stargazer dismissed it like it was merely a breeze of summer.

"Why won't you attack with Darkus?" challenged the older twin with Reaper's voice. He broke into a smug smile and said, "Oh that's right. You can't because you're not a real Darkus Bakugan… You're just a helpless delinquent of the Pyrus realm…"

"ENOUGH!" Both Spectra and Helios shouted, "STOP TREATING ME LIKE I'M INFERIOR TO YOU!"

Helios opened his mouth and red specks of dust gathered inside it. Soon a luminous red ball formed inside his mouth.

Spectra glared at Masquerade as the latter continued walking towards the throne, "I'LL SHOW YOU THAT I'M THE DARKUS APPRENTICE!"

Helios spat the red ball towards Masquerade, who was currently at the end of the stairs that led to the throne.

The ball made contact with Masquerade and exploded.

Spectra gave out a loud satisfied laugh and shouted with Helios' voice, "HE'S GONE!" He threw his head back and laughed insanely.

"Who is?"

The smoke cleared and it revealed Masquerade's figure. The silhouette was still behind him and he continued walking like nothing happened.

Spectra cowered back in fear. Helios shrunk considerably.

"What's wrong?" mocked Masquerade and Reaper, "Are you afraid?"

Only a few steps were between Masquerade and Spectra.

"M—monster…" Spectra gasped.

Masquerade chuckled at the sound of those words; Reaper's voice that resonated with him made him sound more intimidating and frightening.

"Monster…" he repeated with humor in his voice "Everyone, including myself, considered me as one… But the one you killed…" his voice trembled, "The one you killed… My sister… Alice… was the only one who saw me as a human being…" he raised his head and his amethyst eyes shook Spectra to his very core, "YOU KILLED THE ONE AND ONLY PERSON WHO SAW ME AS A HUMAN BEING!"

His eyes were so terrifying, like they didn't come from a human at all. It was full of rage, hate, resentment and to the shallower, anger.

"You're going to pay dearly…" Masquerade muttered.

He raised his arms and Reaper's scythe fell on them. The ghastly figure of the shadowy scythe made Spectra cower.

"Even though you acquired her power… Even though you harnessed it and used it for your purposes… The fact remains that you're not a Mage and you can never use it like she does…" Masquerade muttered, "That's why you didn't faze me at all…"

He raised his arms, the purple blade of the scythe caught Spectra's sky blue eyes. Helios disappeared.

"Today… the star with the faint red glow on the Darkus sky will vanish forever…" Masquerade ominously said and smirked, "Farewell…"

The scythe started its rapid and deadly descent. It headed right towards Spectra and assured him death.

As the blade came closer to Spectra, the older twin's resolve started to waver and sway.

_What's this?_

A thread came missing from the woven fabric of his memories.

It contained the bloody night where he killed his parents' murderers and the people who hurt his sister.

"You have beautiful eyes, brother…" Alice managed a smile, "I can't let them go to waste…"

He held her hand that was on his left eye. She had already finished healing his left eye and his vision returned to normal.

"Even if my eyes are beautiful… the fact remains that I'm a monster…" Masquerade said miserably, "I… I'm a monster Alice…"

Alice shook her head and said, "You're not a monster, brother…"

"Yes I am…"

"No you're not…"

"Stop lying to me!" Masquerade shouted as he bowed his head and his shoulders trembled, his actions shook him to the very core; it was impossible that Alice still viewed him as her brother.

"I'm not lying to you…" Alice said "You're not a monster brother…"

She sounded helpless. She sounded desperate. She wanted to convince him, but she couldn't think of a reason to make him feel better.

Her tone made him believe her. He knew that she didn't see him as a monster the same way he viewed himself; she viewed him as her brother that she had always loved.

"I'm sorry…" Masquerade said as he stopped crying, he managed a small smile and said, "I didn't realize that if I considered myself as a monster, I would be referring to you as a monster too…"

Alice chuckled, "I don't really care…"

There was a brief moment of silence between them. They sat in front of one another with corpses all around them.

"Alice…" he broke the silence, "I'm scared…"

Alice tilted her head; worry was still evident on her face.

"I'm scared that I might do this again…"

"Brother…"

"I'm scared that I might kill someone again because of anger…" Masquerade said; he sounded so weak, so helpless, so frightened; so unsure.

Alice didn't know what to say. She bit her lower lip and thought of a way to ease her brother's tumult of troubling emotions.

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He raised his amethyst eyes and met with her soft brown ones. She had a bright smile on her face, one that said that she would always be with him, a smile that assured him that he was not alone and that he would never be; a smile that made him want to believe in her.

"When the time comes," Alice stared "When you fee; the urge to kill again, think of me… Think of the grassy meadow where we used to play on inside the tower. Think of the times when we would stare at the indigo sky and try to count the stars, but can't because it's impossible. Think of me…"

He chuckled dryly. She was trying to make him feel better; the least he could do was show her that he appreciated it despite the fact that he was still horrified with what he did.

_Alice…_

The scythe stopped a few millimeters from Spectra's chest.

The Knight was baffled to say the least. His eyes were fixed on the scythe's blade. For a moment, he didn't breathe at all.

Masquerade drew back.

_No…_

_I can't kill him…_

Reaper's silhouette disappeared.

"_Well done… Stargazer… I am now in your service…"_

"Thank you, Reaper…"

The smoky scythe on his hands disappeared and he turned his back on Spectra as he started to walk back towards Ren, Ace and Alice.

"Claim the apprenticeship if you want…" Masquerade said, "I don't care about it…"

As he walked down, a tear escaped his right eye. He just realized the weight of what had just happened. The weight brought him down.

He staggered and Ace caught him by the arm.

"Careful," said the Mercenary "You looked like someone deranged out there…"

Masquerade managed a smirk, "Thank you Ace…"

"Don't thank me yet…" Ace said, "We're not yet there you know…"

_There?_

Exhaustion quickly took over the older twin as Ace half-carried; half-dragged him to the pillar where he and Ren hid behind.

"Hey," Ace shook him slightly "Are you okay?"

Masquerade nodded and managed a small smile.

Ren helped Ace bring Masquerade behind the pillar.

The Stargazer couldn't help but smile at the sight of his sister's smile.

_If only she was still alive…_

_She would tell me that I did well in controlling myself…_

_If only she was still alive…_

_She would embrace me so tightly..._

_If only she was still alive…_

_I wouldn't feel so empty…_

"Can you help me sit beside her?" asked Masquerade in a quiet voice.

Ren and Ace gently put Masquerade down beside Alice and then they left to give the twins a little privacy.

He rested his cheek on the crown of her head and inhaled her fragrance that still smelled strongly of roses and strawberries. He couldn't help but smile.

"Alice…" he took her hand gingerly, "I did what you said… I thought about you and the grassy meadows in the tower where we used to play. I thought about the skies where we used to stare all day at. I thought of the crown of flowers that you always made me. I thought of you… And I didn't kill Spectra… No matter how angry I was at him… because he killed you…" his voice trailed off and became softer, "I didn't… kill him…"

He smiled through half-lidded eyes. He felt strange and extremely lethargic. He wanted to close his eyes and wait for morning's arrival. He wanted to close his eyes and open them to see Alice smiling beside him.

"It would be great to go home right Alice?" asked Masquerade.

He chuckled softly and closed his amethyst eyes.

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><p><strong>AND that's a wrap! =D<strong>

**Did I keep anyone hanging in the ending? =D**

**I won't say much right now, but there will only be one more chapter and it will be the epilogue of the fic… =D**

**But before I upload the last one would you guys be so kind as to REVIEW?**

**So please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the fic as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	15. The way it should end

**I am so (x1000000) sorry for the late update!**

**So here's the final chapter of Exedra's apprentice… **

**I'm kinda sad… but at the same time I'm so happy that so many people actually read and reviewed on this story!**

**Can anybody do the disclaimer for me for the last time?**

**JetravenEx: Here!**

**Yay!**

**JetravenEx: chquine-harvinellisse, does not own Bakugan and she also doesn't own Skylord…**

**Thanks Jet and oh, belated happy birthday!**

**JetravenEx: Thanks!**

**On with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

The way it should end

Ace let out a grunt as Mira placed medicine on the small scar on his left cheek.

"Hold still you baby!" Mira scolded.

"You could at least try to be gentler!" Ace complained

Mira shoved the medicine and the cloth into his hand and said, "Then you do it yourself!"

Ace stared down at the medicine and said, "There's no way I can do this on my own!"

Mira turned to him with an angry expression on her face, "And you call yourself a Mercenary… You can't even hold still while I patch you up…"

"Sorry…" Ace said, "I was kinda embarrassed…"

Mira playfully punched him in the arm and said, "We're getting married in a few weeks and you're still embarrassed?" she took a dramatic step away from him and asked in an anxious voice, "Who are you and what have you done to Ace?"

Ace chuckled as he stood up and wrapped his arm around Mira's waist. He planted a soft, sweet kiss on the girl's forehead.

"Yeah, it's me…" Ace said

"You should be…" Mira said, "I've waited for you long enough…"

They just stood there in silence.

Ace moved into the Subterra realm for a while since the Darkus realm was too overwhelmed by the havoc it just had to face. A few days past, he had proposed to the red haired girl, but not before taking care of the necessary preparations for everything.

His life was a few steps closer to being perfect and it was more than a bachelor like him could ever ask for.

After a while, Ace pulled away from the contact.

Mira looked up at him with questioning eyes, "Do you really have to go now?"

Ace brushed her hair with his fingers and said, "I won't go anywhere else…"

When Mira didn't say anything more, he continued, "I'm just going to pay my respects to their grave and I'm coming back after that…"

Mira nodded. She was never the selfish type about anything, but with Ace, things were on a completely different scale.

"Alright…" Mira finally gave up, "I suppose I shouldn't worry since I'll be spending the rest of my life with you in a few weeks… You can go wherever you want today…" she smiled

Ace looked at her, a bit surprised, "Really?"

Mira nodded, "Just come back to me okay?"

Ace chuckled, "You don't need to tell me twice…" once again he pressed his lips on her forehead and caused her to blush, "You're the only place I belong now…"

Slowly and somewhat reluctantly, Mira let Ace go. She had a look that said, 'Hurry up before I change my mind'.

Ace chuckled as he walked off to the portal.

Since all six realms in Vestroia had their respective apprentices, travelling from one to another was no longer an issue. Each realm had its respective portal that will lead to the corresponding realm.

Ace saw the other five portals were teeming with people, but the purple one, the one that led to his home, was void of anyone.

The Darkus realm still hasn't reached full stability, so travelling to that realm was out of the question; the people still questioned the realm itself.

The Darkus realm was said to be a dangerous realm and not many dared to travel into it, but their beliefs were about to be changed.

Ace bowed his head slightly and sadly. He knew who spent so much effort on making sure that the Darkus realm was stable enough for the treaty.

And he was reminded of the Twins…

_Only one was allowed to survive…_

He gritted his teeth in the memory of Alice and her older twin brother Masquerade.

He entered the portal and made his way to his home realm.

Once inside, he headed straight for the tower that used to be the home of the unfortunate twins. He found a headstone in the middle. The sun shone so brightly on the headstone that it was impossible to read to whom it belonged to.

"Hey," Ace greeted; he sounded like the one who owned the headstone was, "how have you been?'

He paused for a bit, like the one would respond to him. He smiled and knelt down, "It's been a while hasn't it? The last time I was here was the time I was preparing for my proposal to Mira…" he touched the headstone gingerly, like it was made out of something fragile, "Can you believe that I'm actually getting hitched?"

He chuckled slightly as if he was laughing with someone else. When the laughter died down, his face turned serious again, "Things have been different lately… Spectra, or should I say, Keith, made amends for his sins," he smiled nostalgically, "Skylord gave him the beating of his life…

"I don't really know what it is that you've always wanted, but I do know that you wanted the test to end. I mean all you ever wanted was peace…" Ace said somewhat sadly, "Well… it's here now… but you're not here to see it…

"Don't you think of it as unfair? I mean, all you ever wanted was to be with your twin like old times…" Ace said

"Do you know that your twin's the apprentice now?" he mentioned, "With the completion of the apprentices, travelling from realm to realm is now possible. I've decided to live in the Subterra realm; Ren has resumed wandering.

"I keep on telling that guy to reconcile with the Princess of the Haos realm, but that idiot won't listen!"

"Who's the idiot?" snapped an angry and slightly grated male voice.

The mint-haired Mercenary turned his head to see the silver-haired Hermit with a very annoyed expression on his face.

Ace spotted the bouquet of white lilies on Ren's hand. He smirked and asked, "I take it that you went to visit this tomb too?"

Ren nodded curtly, "I am not an idiot you know…"

"But you should at least try to listen to Fabia's side of the story…" Ace pointed out.

Ren didn't say anything more.

"How long has it been?" asked Ren

"Since when?"

"Since the test…"

Ace looked up and tried to put into number the days that passed them like a hurricane.

"Three months…" he finally replied

"That long huh?"

"Why did you ask all of a sudden?" asked the Mercenary curiously

Ren shook his head, "No particular reason…"

"It's about Princess Fabia right?"

And just like that, Ren fell rigid. Ace turned away from the visibly and obviously stunned Hermit and continued his ranting, "You should really go back and reconcile with the Princess…"

Ren chuckled bitterly, "She made a treaty with our people… They've finally reached something that we've been wishing for a long time ago… How can I show my face after throwing those words at her?"

"You can at least try…" Ace said as he tried to boost the Hermit's confidence, "I'm sure Fabia wants to clear things up to you too…"

Ren sighed as he placed the bouquet on the grassy meadow. He sat beside the mint-haired Mercenary and asked, "If that twin was here, would you have the same point of view?"

Ace shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the sky, "I don't know…"

Ren smiled as the wind gently blew his hair to and fro.

"So how's progress with Mira?" Ren suddenly brought the subject up.

Ace flushed for a moment and straightened himself soon after, "We're… We're getting married in a few weeks…"

Ren chuckled, "It feels like it was just yesterday when the test started… And now, you're getting married to the girl of your dreams…" he slapped Ace on the back and said, "Congratulations!"

Ace glared at the silver haired Hermit and said, "Yeah thanks…"

"I think I'll stay in Lady Skylord's mercy like Keith…" Ren said, "It's not like my people need me anymore anyway…"

"Stop being so sappy and reconcile with the Princess already!" Ace shouted.

Ren glared at the Mercenary and said, "I would like it if you don't meddle with my business…"

They heard the grass rustling and their attention was immediately brought to the person behind them.

There stood the one who used to be the Darkus Knight, Spectra Phantom, or Keith Clay as he is known nowadays.

"Did I come at a bad time?" asked the blonde

The twosome turned to the new visitor. It was a surprising event to see Keith out of Skylord's supervision.

Ace managed a smile and said, "No, join the club…"

Keith, like Ren, brought a bouquet of flowers to offer to the grave. Unlike Ren's white lilies, Keith brought violet orchids.

"I thought I'd apologize…" Keith said, "After all, I have been under Lady Skylord's care since the apprenticeship ceremony ended… I never really had the time to apologize to all of you…"

Both Ace and Ren were taken aback by Keith's words.

Keith raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Who are you and what have you done to Keith?" The mercenary asked as he pointed an accusing finger at Keith.

Ren shivered visibly, "Lady Skylord must be fearsome indeed…"

Keith chuckled as he walked towards the grave and placed the violet orchids beside Ren's white lilies.

"Why did you choose this flower?" asked the Hermit, "Usually, a white flower is given to commemorate someone dead…"

Keith smiled as he bent on his knees and touched the headstone, "Because I knew someone else was bound to give one… So I decided against it…"

Ace smirked, "You always saw someone else in that twin right?"

The Knight nodded slowly and solemnly, "Yes... That was why I gave the cure to the Fool's poison…

"I apologize for acting so rashly during the test," Keith started, "Like Lady Skylord told me, my behavior was inexcusable… I was fortunate enough to only receive a beating from her that left me with both of my arms broken, my kneecap fractured, three broken ribs, massive internal bleeding and a few days of coma from her…"

Ace and Ren visibly shivered. They knew that the former temporary Darkus Guardian hated Spectra with a passion, but they never thought it would be to that extent.

Ace suddenly burst out laughing, while the other two stared at him in askance.

The Mercenary managed to stop his sudden laughter and turned to his two companions, "Who would've thought that the day would come when we just look back to what happened to us after we separated?"

Keith made a small smile, "It does seem rather farfetched…"

The Hermit nodded his head and said, "I agree…"

There was silence for a while. The gentle breeze was the only thing heard between them. All eyes were on the headstone that stood before them.

"So, I heard you and Mira are getting married…" Keith said as he shifted and turned to Ace.

Said boy wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up by the ground and to disappear from the blonde's sky blue eyes.

He gulped nervously and replied, "Y—Yeah… We're getting married in a few weeks…" he turned away from his soon-to-be-brother-in-law and said, "I didn't think you'd hear of it though…"

Keith chuckled, "Did you honestly think that I wouldn't hear of my own sister's wedding?" he tore his eyes away from the obviously uneasy mint-haired Mercenary "Even if I was kept inside this realm by Lady Skylord, even if we're realms apart; even if my chances of seeing her are quite low, I would find ways and means to know what has been happening to her…"

Ace bit his lower lip.

"Why the sudden unease?" asked the Knight

"Well…" Ace hesitated, "I never had the chance to ask for your permission to marry your sister… Since your parents are dead and all, that makes you the only person I can ask her hand from…"

"There's no need…" Keith said, "As long as she loves you and you love her more than she does to you," Ace had to chuckle at that, "I would never stand in between…"

The Mercenary smiled and said, "Thanks, Keith…"

"You can expect my full support on the day of the wedding," Keith added, "I know it may be tough, but I'll start begging Lady Skylord to permit me attendance to your wedding…"

Ace nodded, "I hope she does…" he then turned to the Hermit who sat beside him and asked, "What about you, are you going to visit the Princess or not?"

Ren shot the Mercenary with a threatening glare, "Mind your own business!"

"Princess?" Keith echoed, "Do you mean _the_ Haos Princess, Fabia Sheen?"

"Yeah, this guy's a stubborn one…" Ace replied as he jerked his thumb towards the Hermit, "He won't reconcile with her…"

"As far as I've heard from Lady Skylord, the Neathian race of the Haos realm and the Gundalian race from our realm have agreed on a treaty," Keith pointed out, "Why not reconcile with the Princess after all of her efforts?"

"I'm not even worthy of glancing at her from afar after all that I've said," Ren brought his gaze down, "And besides, there's no need for me to show myself to her… I am a Hermit after all and I wander around; that is my life…"

Keith started to shuffle in his pocket. After a few, he took out a golden circular amulet, "I suppose it's time for me to return this to you, Ren…"

The Hermit's golden eyes widened, "Is that…?"

"Yes…" nodded the Knight, "I never had the chance to return this to you before because I was in a coma most of the time…"

Ren stared at the amulet with awe for a while. He had completely forgotten that the Knight had it in his possession all this time.

"I know you very much want to have it back…" Keith said as he tossed the golden amulet to the Hermit.

Ren caught it expertly with one hand without saying anything. He gazed at the amulet; ran his fingers on the star shaped emblem. A small and faint smile painted his face.

"See you do want to see her…" Ace, who was suddenly beside the Hermit, blurted.

In a span of one second, Ren sped five feet away from the Mercenary who had just scared the hell out of him.

"I told you to mind your own business!" Ren hissed.

"Quit being so stubborn and go see her already!" Ace shouted

"You don't tell me what to do!"

"Oh yeah? Wanna try it out now?"

"Anytime Merc!"

Then there was the sound of the Knight's laughter. Both heads turned to him in askance, "You two look like siblings fighting over one thing…" he explained, "The dead twin might have loved seeing you like this…"

Ace and Ren stopped bickering and agreed to what Keith said, albeit with annoyed looks on their faces.

The breeze caught the leaves of the apple tree beautifully and produced a soft sound that can be compared to a gentle laugh. The sound was frightening at first, but the threesome knew to whom that laughs belonged to.

"That twin _is _seeing us…" Ren muttered.

The other two silently agreed.

The grass rustled once more, because of the wind and because of the new visitor.

"Well I never thought there would be a lot of people here today…" came an awfully familiar and distinct voice.

All heads snapped to the direction of the voice and saw the other twin who survived…

The one who's experienced pain and loneliness since the other twin died…

The one who won in the test…

The one who became Exedra's apprentice…

"I certainly didn't expect for all of you to be here…" there came a pause and a smirk, "In Alice's grave…"

Ace snorted, "Well it's about time you got here, Stargazer, no," he corrected himself, "Exedra's Apprentice…"

The older twin was clad in a violet robe, proof that he was indeed the apprentice of the Darkus realm; Exedra's apprentice. He still had his glass-like mask on his face and it hid his amethyst eyes and his cheeks.

"I come here almost every day," the Apprentice, Masquerade smirked, "You're the ones who took so long in visiting her…"

He approached the headstone and gingerly traced the words, 'Alice' engraved on it.

"Were they too noisy?" asked Masquerade, like he was talking to his sister in the flesh, "Sorry I couldn't bring you any flowers… But they did a good job of bringing you some…"

He turned to Keith and asked, "So how's life being Lady Skylord's new servant?"

Keith chuckled, "She's…" he paused at a loss for words, "Very gentle…"

Ace and Ren couldn't help but snort, "LIAR!"

"Well, I _am _still alive, aren't I?" asked the other blonde.

Masquerade chuckled and said, "Lady Skylord is very kind… She just rarely shows it…" he turned his attention to the mint-haired boy and asked, "So I heard Mira and you are getting married…"

"Why is everyone talking about that all the time?" Ace grimaced.

"Not all people are given the privilege of getting married like you Ace…" Masquerade said, "And since an old friend is going to experience it soon so why not talk about it?"

"Because I'd like to stop taking about my marriage with Mira for once…" Ace said as he, for once, noticed that the first subject they always talked about was his marriage to Keith's little sister.

"So how are things going on?" asked Keith, "I haven't been out for a while…"

"Well… The peace talks have been running smoothly…" replied Masquerade as he sat down behind the threesome who used to take the test with him.

"What about you?" asked Ren

Silence filled the Apprentice.

"You're still mourning over her right?"

Masquerade bowed his head and recalled that day.

* * *

><p>Ace and Ren noticed how Masquerade's eyes closed. They suddenly became frantic. A frightening thought came to mind:<p>

_Is he dead too?_

The Mercenary made a move to wake the older twin up, but Ren stopped him. As a result, Ace turned angrily at the Hermit.

"He's gone…"

Ace lashed out, "NO HE IS NOT!"

"Stop pretending!" Ren shouted but less agitated than Ace, "Even under the influence of Reaper, there's no way anyone could have survived those attacks!"

"So are we just going to let him die?"

The air behind them swooshed and they heard an incoherent cry coming from behind them. While on their half-turn they saw Spectra holding a scythe high in the air with his hands.

But before he could strike a blow, a sudden radiant light filled the room. It was new; most Darkus attributed Bakugan were not capable of releasing such a powerful light.

Ace and Ren covered their eyes while Spectra seemed dazed for a while.

When the light had subsided, they came face to face with the previous temporary Darkus Guardian, Skylord.

She flapped her wings once; then the light faded and she was on the ground.

"Well…" she started, "I see that the test is now over, but apparently, the Guardian has been struck dead…"

Her eyes narrowed at Spectra, "You're a troublesome one you know that?"

Her eyes trailed from the threesome to the peaceful pair who sat side by side; seemingly asleep.

"They're dead…?" her voice trailed off in horror.

Her eyes flew to the blonde who stood behind her; anger flashed in her eyes.

"You killed the Apprentice!" she exclaimed angrily.

"A deed I was more than willing to fulfill…" Spectra said proudly.

Skylord flashed Spectra a glare that made stunned him. He fell on the ground, shaking. The temporary Guardian was not someone to be messed with.

She turned back to the supposed-to-be Apprentice, "Who's that girl beside him?" she asked

"His twin sister…" answered Ace sadly.

Skylord's face suddenly became laden with surprise, "The Apprentice has a twin?"

The two nodded.

"Then we may have hope after all…" Skylord said

"What do you mean?" asked the Hermit

"One of them will live… The other won't be so fortunate…" Skylord replied plainly, "Don't you ever hear about the Legends here in Vestroia?" she snapped

When she received silence as a reply she continued, "Twins have a bond that nothing in this world can ever compare with. They share almost everything between them, emotions, memories, skills, knowledge and even their life…

"These two seem to be closer than other twins… And plus she's a Mage…" Skylord muttered

"So what's going to happen to them?" asked Ace as he somewhat raised his voice.

The Guardian turned to Ace with an annoyed expression on her face, "Like I said, one of them is going to live… The other will die… Twins share their lives and when one dies, but is followed shortly by the other one, they're both thrown into a trance, and once that trance is over…" her voice trailed off

The Hermit raised a question this time, "How will we know who will live and won't?"

"Again, I don't know the answer to that question…" Skylord replied somewhat sadly, "Most of the times, none survive after going through this… But she's a Mage… Things are bound to come out differently…"

They all watched anxiously as the Twins continued their peaceful slumber.

"_Brother…"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_What are you feeling right now?"_

"_A little empty…"_

"_A little… empty?"_

"_I feel like there's something missing inside me…"_

"…"

"_Alice…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_What are you feeling right now?"_

"_I'm feeling very selfish right now…"_

"_What?"_

"_I know I have to let you resurface… But I really want you to stay with me right now… I'm being selfish…"_

"_What are you saying?"_

"_Do you remember everything now?"_

"…_Yes…"_

"_But you still stopped yourself…"_

"_Thanks to you…"_

"… _Brother…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Would you be sad if I died?"_

"_What kind of a question is that?"_

"_Well… I just wanted to know…"_

"_Alice…"_

"_Please…?"_

"_Okay fine… Of course I would be sad… Because that would mean that I won't see you anymore… I'd lose the most precious person in the world to me…"_

"_Brother, don't cry…"_

"_Why shouldn't I? The mere thought of it makes me cry…"_

"_Even if I die, you would never lose me…"_

"_How so?"_

"_I'm a Mage remember? I won't let you become sad if I die…"_

"_Alice…"_

"_It's time to part ways, brother… But we won't be as far apart as you think…"_

"_I know… We're twins after all…"_

"_Goodbye, brother…"_

"_Goodbye Alice…"_

Slowly a pair of amethyst eyes opened. Masquerade turned slightly and saw Alice.

She still had a smile on her pale face. He knew that she was already dead and for some reason that gave him an eccentric type of relief.

He caressed her cold cheeks, brushing off a stray lock of orange hair from her face.

"He's awake…" was Ace's enthralled remark.

Ren nodded in wonder, "But then that means…?"

"Alice is dead…" Masquerade finished the sentence for him.

Skylord eyed Masquerade before she asked, "You've… regained what memories I erased from you, haven't you?"

The Stargazer turned his gaze upwards to Skylord, "Yes milady, forgive me…"

Skylord waved her hand, "Cut the sentimental crap… I knew you'd break it sooner or later…" she turned to the Stargazer and said, "But your survival only means one thing: you're Exedra's apprentice now…"

Masquerade nodded and said, "I know…"

"But it won't be easy because the Guardian has died," the Dragoness told him, "Nonetheless, the title 'Exedra's apprentice' belongs to you now…"

"But aren't you the temporary Guardian?" asked the mint-haired Mercenary, "Aren't you supposed to help him?"

Skylord shook her head and said, "No… I mean, yes I am the temporary Guardian, but it isn't my job to help the apprentice…" she turned to the blonde Apprentice and said, "Besides, I don't think this one needs my help anymore… His Mage sister can help him…"

The other two turned to the Stargazer quizzically.

Masquerade shrugged innocently, "Did you really think that Alice would leave me?"

Ace smirked, "Okay fine, you're the creepy one…"

Skylord stretched out her wings and said, "Well, now that the test is done and we now have our apprentice, I guess it's time for me to spread the word about the old Hydra's death. But first…" she turned to Spectra and grabbed him by the back collar of his clothing, "I think I'll take care of this out of control Knight…"

"What are you going to do with him?" asked the Hermit

"Simple," Skylord replied, "I'm going to give him the beating of a lifetime… When you meet him again, you won't even notice him…"

Ren could've sworn he saw dark clouds looming around the Dragoness, but decided against mentioning it.

* * *

><p>"Not long after that, things went on smoothly," Keith continued, "After Alice's burial you assumed the position of Apprentice…"<p>

Masquerade nodded, "And it wasn't easy… But thankfully, we managed…"

Ace wiggled a finger, "Which brings us back to Ren's problem…"

Ren's golden eyes widened in rage, "Why are you turning on me again?"

"Because you're the idiot who won't make up with the Princess!" Ace retorted

"Stay out of my business Mercenary!"

Masquerade chuckled, "Ace is right Ren. The Princess had been pacing back and forth through the Haos and Darkus realms, all so she could make a treaty with your people…"

"I'm aware of that…" the Hermit's voice trailed off

"You were her primary motivation, you know…" smirked the blonde Apprentice triumphantly as he saw Ren shift uneasily.

"Well…" Ace wanted to tease the silver-haired Hermit but he stood up and said, "I have to go… Mira gave the entire day off; I still have a lot of people to visit…"

"For example?" Masquerade raised an eyebrow

"That idiotic excuse for an Apprentice of the Pyrus realm," replied the Mercenary as he placed his arms behind his head, "Johnny Lasso was it?"

"Daniel Kuso," all three corrected him

"Yeah him," Ace smirked as he knelt back on the grass and said, "Bye Alice… I'll have your brother come to my wedding for you…"

The breeze blew again; like before it sounded like the gentle laughter of a girl…

Who went by the name of Alice…

Ace turned towards the exit and said, "See you all in a few weeks…"

Ren sighed as Ace left.

"Are you sure you're not going to the Haos realm?" asked Keith as he arched an eyebrow.

Ren stood up and smiled, "Yeah… I'm sure Alice would have told me that too…"

Masquerade nodded, "She would have…" he gingerly touched the white lilies that Ren had brought, "And she would have loved this too…"

Ren smiled; "Yeah…" he turned to leave and said, "Well… I guess I'll pay Princess Fabia a visit…"

He waved a hand and walked off.

"Aren't you leaving?" asked Masquerade to the other blonde.

"In a while…" replied Keith, "I hadn't been out in so long; I really wanted to talk to you…"

The Apprentice nodded.

There was a considerable length of silence between them before Keith broke it, "I'm sorry…"

Masquerade didn't, or more accurately couldn't say anything.

"I caused Alice's death," Keith said as his every word pressed heavily on the older twin, "And I know that the deed was hardly forgivable… But Lady Skylord taught me how to be… properly natured and I believe that an apology is needed."

Masquerade had to smile at the pause. True, he was angry with the Knight for killing his sister, but he also knew that his younger twin wouldn't be happy if he didn't forgive Keith.

"Alice was the one who kept me from killing you…" muttered the masked blonde, "She was always the compassionate one…" he smiled slightly, "Even to the people who hurt her; she was always kind… She was always the bright one… And I really envy her…"

"She's very dear to you…" Keith muttered, "I can't see any reason for your forgiveness…"

The Apprentice chuckled, "I won't deny that… I mean you killed her… But she's also the reason why I'm forgiving you…"

Keith's sky blue eyes widened. For a moment, he doubted his ears, but he knew he heard it for certain. And he was more than relieved to hear that Masquerade had forgiven him.

"Thank you…" Keith muttered joyfully.

"You saw Mira in her didn't you?" asked Masquerade, "That's why you helped her get the antidote for Shadow Prove's poison…"

Keith nodded, "Yes… Believe it or not, I was against the idea of killing her… But Helios' power was too strong for me to handle…"

"The Bakugan _are_ curious things…" nodded Masquerade "I know how it feels to be like a puppet…"

There was another period of silence, but it was briefer than the previous one. It was interrupted when Keith stood up and said, "I too must be going… I have to start begging to Lady Skylord to let me attend my sister's wedding…"

Masquerade chuckled, "Don't worry; I'm sure Lady Skylord will allow you to… And if she won't, I'll take it from there…"

Keith nodded whilst smiling. "Why are you still wearing that mask?" asked the Knight, "If I remember correctly, it was a seal to your memories correct? But you've…"

Masquerade didn't let Keith finish and answered the previous question the other blonde posed, "It's because I like the things I see with my eyes through this mask…"

Keith nodded knowingly, "Whereas it is the exact opposite for me…"

Masquerade stretched out his hand and said, "See you…"

Keith stared at Masquerade for a while before he finally shook the other blonde's hand, "Likewise…"

When Keith left, Masquerade decided to go back and finish his duties too. He turned back to the lone headstone and pulled out something from the pocket of his cloak. It was a crown of flowers, like what Alice used to give him when they were young and when she was still alive.

"I'll see you tomorrow Alice…" he whispered.

As he turned back to leave, a single tear escaped his eyes.

"_I'll always be here, brother…"_

* * *

><p><strong>THE END<strong>

**I apologize for Alice's death and for the delay of the update…**

**And I would like to thank the following people who REVIEWED and supported this fic:**

**Honorable**

**Alana Fox**

**feathered moon wings**

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**GRRRR AHHH GURL**

**never enough**

**tiredgirl**

**And of course the dedicatee of this story herself,**

**JetravenEx**

**I really appreciated it! =D**

**And to those who read, but didn't REVIEW, I'm still grateful… =D**

**I never really expected this to reach 40 REVIEWS, I just expected 20 at the most, but still thanks to you guys! =D**

**Again thank you, to those who REVIEWED and will REVIEW… =D**

**See you in between pages again! =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


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